Community Schools – Improve and Enhance Access to Health Care
Issue Background:
In the 1980s, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a comprehensive school health program comprised of eight components which showed promise in improving health and educational outcomes for students and in reducing overall health care costs by highlighting prevention and access to care. These eight components include: health education, physical education, health services, nutrition services, counseling and psychological services, healthy school environment, health promotion for school staff, and family/community involvement. Schools have been identified by the CDC as the only organized public institution able to access children each and every day.
Impact of Community Schools on Accessing Health Care:
Though it is unclear how many health services are being provided at schools in general, research shows that community schools in the ChicagoPublic School system actively engage in and place an emphasis on health-related programming. By looking at 94 community schools using the CDC framework for comprehensive school health programming, the results demonstrate that these schools are experimenting in service delivery in all eight components.
Research Findings: (all of the schools identified below are community schools)
■ Physical education: All 94 community schools offer some sports and recreational option to students;
■ Psychosocial and physical environment: 63 community schools offered programs to improve psychosocial and physical experience of being in school, from mentoring to anger management classes;
■ Health education: 40 community schools reported providing health education focused on prevention and health promotion, including gang and violence prevention; hygiene, nutrition and exercise programs: alcohol and drug use and abuse prevention; pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases prevention; asthma education, and; self-esteem and stress management programs;
■ Nutrition services: 31 schools reported offering nutrition services, including providing food supplements and teaching healthy nutrition;
■ Family and community involvement: 36 schools involved families and community members in health-related workshops, seminars, health fairs, fitness classes and more.
Policy Implications:
The CDC has identified key strategies to improve health outcomes for children and have identified schools as the most effective point of delivery for these services. Community schools have taken up the call for improved health outcomes by providing health programs and services for children at a critical time. The state of Illinois should adopt the community school model as a way of ensuring that its youth gains access to essential health programming, including physical education, health education, nutrition and psychosocial services.
20 N. Wacker Drive▪Suite 1740▪Chicago, Illinois60606
T312.629.4990F312.629.4999