If you are coming to the National School Based Health convention in Washington DC this year come and meet other members of the Massachusetts school based community! This event will be during the state meeting time set aside at the convention. An email will be sent out with the exact location!

Come and meet other members of MASBHA and get details on when we will meet with state representative offices in Congress!

The MASBHA Board is thrilled to welcome our keynote speaker:
Sophie Godley DrPH

Come join us virtually for the Annual MASBHA meeting opened to all!

Sophie Godley is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health where she had been teaching full time since July of 2010. Sophie has been working in the field of public health since 1993, and her areas of expertise include adolescent health, sexual health, implementing science-based prevention programs and incorporating anti-racist approaches into public health education. Sophie served as the Director of Adolescent Health and Youth Development for the Massachusetts Department of Public health for five years, and as deputy director of the AIDS Action Committee in Massachusetts for six years, overseeing prevention and education programs, while also offering practicum opportunities to BUSPH students. Sophie has also worked with ROCA, Inc. in Chelsea, MA, a performance-driven anti-poverty and anti-violence agency. At ROCA Sophie worked on a process evaluation of a project focused on high-risk young mothers. In 2011 Sophie received the Associations of the School of Public Health/Pfizer Early Career in Public Health Teaching Award. In 2013 Sophie won the BUSPH annual Education Innovation Award. In May of 2017 Sophie received one of the University's highest awards in teaching, the Metcalf Award.

She received her B.A. from Smith College, her master’s degree in public health from the University of Washington, and her doctorate in public health from Boston University in 2017.

Sophie also serves as Director of Undergraduate Education in the School of Public Health, advising students enrolled in the public health minor and the innovative 4+1 program, BUSPH’s combined BA/MPH and BS/MPH.

Sophie's current work in the community focuses on supporting healthy sexuality in communities and schools and supporting community resilience among those working in direct service roles.

Please join us to hear about the work of SBHCs, and the critical role they play in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable youth, increasing access to care and addressing the mental health crisis. Zoom link here, and below. 

Agenda:

• Welcome

• Presentation : The value of SBHCs during the pandemic and beyond

• Stakeholders speak about the the role SBHCs have played for them

We ask you to please reach out to your legislators ASAP to invite them to attend as well! 
You can find your legislators here: https://malegislature.gov/search/findmylegislator

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on June 8th!

MASBHA Board 

Please join us at 9:00 on Friday April 1st for a follow up zoom gathering: Care for the Caregivers.

We will have a special guest for the first few minutes - Mairead DayLopes, the new DPH SBHC Program Director, will stop by to introduce herself so we can put a face to the name.

After the introductions, Mairead will leave us so we can talk amongst ourselves.
Our conversation will be free flowing.
We'll have opportunities to share difficult moments as well as bright spots. There will be space to discuss any topics of concern or interest in either our personal or professional worlds, locally, nationally or globally. We look forward to finding mutual support for our hearts and minds in a community of colleagues.

This session will be facilitated by our own David Bjorklund, LICSW, Assistant Behavioral Health Director for Hilltown Community Health Center, and Behavioral Health Lead at Gateway Regional School-Based Health Center.

We hope to see you there!

February is School-Based Health Awareness Month - and what better way to celebrate than to show our love for all those who work tirelessly to take care of others. We have prepared a Valentine just for YOU.

Shut the door, bring your lunch, and please join us at noon on Friday February 11th for a special zoom gathering: Care for the Caregivers

Our conversation will be free flowing.
We'll offer some psycho-education regarding the impacts of compassion fatigue on our work and our own well-being, and we'll have opportunities to share difficult moments as well as bright spots. We look forward to finding mutual support for our hearts and minds in a community of colleagues.

This session will be facilitated by our own David Bjorklund, LICSW, Assistant Behavioral Health Director for Hilltown Community Health Center, and Behavioral Health Lead at Gateway Regional School-Based Health Center.

We hope to see you there!

MASBHA Stakeholders:

The new year is already underway, and many of us find ourselves busier than ever.
We are all working so hard, taking care of everyone around us. Our batteries are drained.

Let's take a break.

Shut the door, bring your lunch, and please join us at noon on Friday January 21st for special zoom gathering to address compassion fatigue. Click here to join.

A study has shown the average adult will say "I'm fine" fourteen times a week. 80% of the time they are not telling the complete truth. Let's talk together about how we experience compassion fatigue in our work and what we may be able to do about it.

This session will be led by our own David Bjorklund, LICSW, Assistant Behavioral Health Director at Hilltown Community Health Center.

We hope to see you there!

MASBHA stakeholders:

As you navigate implementing APEX, we at MASBHA would like to provide a space to listen to your concerns, and share with each other successes and challenges.

Please join colleagues on Friday November 12th at 9:00AM for the next MASBHA zoom with the field. Zoom link here and below.

Agenda includes:

• Introductions

• APEX implementation

Also, FYI:
Helpful resources re: COVID

With all the misinformation about COVID continuing to circulate, especially in immigrant communities, we thought it might be helpful to share this website from the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants. There are fact sheets, social media graphics, and videos in many different languages designed to address the most common concerns.

And, please consider sharing this video regarding COVID vaccination with the young people you serve. It was created by immigrant youth in Boston, for immigrant youth.

As always, thank you for all you do, all the time.

Looking forward to connecting,

MASBHA Board

To view a recording of this meeting click here

The MASBHA Board is thrilled to welcome our Keynote speaker, Dr. Damian Archer.

Topic: Where Belonging Begins Oppression Ends: School Based Health Centers As An Ideal Space For Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression

Dr. Damian Archer is the Chief Medical Officer at North Shore Community Health in Salem, Massachusetts and the Asst. Dean for Multicultural Affairs at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a board certified Family Medicine physician, Asst. Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts as well as Associate Director of the Sam W. Ho Health Justice Scholars Program. Dr. Archer has a passion for developing and supporting inclusive and anti-oppressive learning and working environments. He enjoys eating Haribo gummi bears in his spare time.

We're back! We hope that you all are refreshed after the summer and have started to settle in to the routine of the school year, navigating being fully back in person as we continue to address the effects of COVID.

Please join colleagues on Friday September 24th at 9:00AM for the next MASBHA zoom with the field. Zoom link here and below.

Agenda can include:

• Introductions

• Sharing: Challenges and opportunities

• DPH - APEX implementation

• DPH RFI brainstorming

• Promoting National Hispanic Heritage Month

  • Click here for some resources to get you started: http://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/for-teachers/

• Reminder: SBHA resources

• Open MA SBHC positions

• Ways MASBHA can support your work

As always, thank you for all you do, all the time.

Looking forward to connecting,

MASBHA Board

Please join us this Friday June 4th at 9:00AM for our next zoom with the field. This will be our last zoom for this school year - we will resume again at the end of the summer. Please join with other SBHC stakeholders to celebrate wrapping up a year like no other!  

As always, thank you for all you do, all the time. 

In these challenging times, we hope you are finding ways to take care of yourselves and be well. 

In an effort to provide support and camaraderie, we would like to invite you to join with school-based health care colleagues on Friday April 30 at 9:00AM for our next zoom with the field.

Agenda: 

• School re-entry check-in, update, challenges

• COVID vaccine access/education for schools

• Social justice action steps within our communities

• Other

It's never too late to promote school-based health!!!

Consider circulating this informative videocreated by MA DPH SBHC program to spread the word about the amazing work that is done each and every day at SBHCs. There is also an associated brochure with tons of information. Both of these can be found on the MA DPH SBHC website. And, a reminder about the national SBHA websitewith additional SBHC Awareness Month resources.

Finally, please come zoom with your colleagues this Friday, February 26th at 9:00AM.
Let's share how we promote SBHCs in our networks and brainstorm new ideas!

We look forward to seeing you!

Thank you for all you do, all the time.

The MASBHA Board

Throughout 2020, a silver lining for us at MASBHA has been the ability to connect with and support each other as we faced all of the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic presented. We plan to continue to host our collaboration meetings on a regular basis as long as there is interest. We invite you to please join us Friday, January 15 at 9:00AM for our next MASBHA zoom conversation.

For the zoom link please email info@masbha.org

Please join us on November 20, 2020 at 9 am to continue our support of each other! Check your emails for the zoom link!

Please join us for our Annual Meeting, Thursday October 29th at 5:30!
For the Zoom link please see your email or email us at info@masbha.org

We are thrilled to welcome Robert Boyd, president and CEO of the national School-Based Health Alliance, who will be joining us as our keynote speaker. 

ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA:  

• Welcome

• Keynote Speaker

• MASBHA Annual Report

• MASBHA Recognitions

• MASBHA Business

Robert Boyd is president and CEO of the School-Based Health Alliance and works to vastly increase the number of young people who have routine access to health care. With an eclectic but powerful history, Robert has spent four decades trying to make the world a better place for those who are the least advantaged. Growing up in the Bronx as the son of a teacher and a New York City police officer, Robert has run and founded non-profit organizations, served as a minister, worked as a banker and real-estate developer and philanthropist, served as chief-of-staff to a powerful member of Congress, worked for the mayor of New York on economic development, served as paid political staff on local, state and national campaigns. Immediately before joining the School-Based Health Alliance, Robert was the founding executive director of the Secure Schools Alliance that was designed to significantly improve the safety of students in the wake of appalling acts of school violence. He helped write the 2018 STOP School Violence Act and put together a coalition of non-profits and others to assure its passage. A lifelong learner, Robert holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University, a Master of Divinity from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. He is a father and grandfather and cook who lives on a Maryland island in the Chesapeake Bay.

We look forward to having you join us on October 29th. 

The MASBHA Board

SBHA Champions - 

Please join us Friday October 2 at 9:30AM for our next MASBHA zoom conversation.  We will continue to share with and learn from each other as we settle in to the new academic year!  Let's do some collective care! 

For ZOOM link please see your email, or email us at info@masbha.org

Topic: MASBHA meeting
Time: Oct 2, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

SBHA Champions - 

We hope that you have been able to enjoy some downtime during the summer, all while working hard to prepare for the new school year, whatever that may look like in your community! 

1. We look forward to to having you join us Wednesday September 9 at 9:30AM for our next MASBHA zoom conversation.  We have so much to share with and learn from each other!  For the Zoom Link please email us at info@masbha.org

2. ICYMI:  8/19 SBHA webinar:  Developing and Implementing Tele-Behavioral Health in SBHCs.
We have heard it was excellent! 
Watch it here: 
https://www.sbh4all.org/events/developing-and-implementing-tele-behavioral-health-in-sbhcs/

3. School Reopening: Information from the DESE Commissioner - new communications added regularly.   http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html

See specifically:
8/20/20 -  updated guidance re: Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios (super helpful document)
8/20/20 - MA Mobile Testing Initiative for schools:  see press release here
8/19/20 -  Joint Memo from DESE/DPH: Clarifying Key Health And Safety Requirements for Schools 

4. Guidance from DPH on school and sports physicals, school-based screenings, and immunizations here - share with your primary care parent organizations! 

5. CDC information on operating schools during COVID, updated 8/21/20, here. 

Thank you, as always, for everything you do to advocate for health and wellness. 
We hope to see you on September 9th! 

The MASBHA Board  

We will follow up on our call 6/18 and further discuss the steps we can take as individuals and as SBHCs to address racism and racial disparities and work towards racial justice, and revisit the our school districts' reopening plans as they continue to evolve. 

If you didn't have a chance to attend, you can watch the 7/22 SBHA webinar “Race, Equity, and Inclusion in School-Based Health Care” here: 

https://www.sbh4all.org/events/race-equity-and-inclusion-in-inclusion-in-school-based-health-care/

If you were not able to attend the webinar on Thursday 7/16 sponsored by the national SBHA (and many other organizations) titled "How Can We Safely Reopen Schools", here is the link to the recording and the slide deck.   Drs Wendy Armstrong and Tina Tan summarized what we do and don't know thus far and laid out recommendations for addressing safety concerns.  

For the most recent guidance from MA DESE re: reopening plans for MA school districts, click here:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html

Update 6/26/2020:

Attached you will find the presentation slides, and a recording of the webinar can be found here: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/pq12n3pn9cg9/

Are you interested in bringing quality primary health care to schools? Is your organization looking for evidence-based ways to advance the health of children and educational equity in your community?

School-based health centers are an evidence-based model that have been shown to improve both health outcomes and educational attainment among socially and economically disadvantaged children.

Learn more about the benefits of school-based health centers in this upcoming webinar.

The Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Regional Operations and the Massachusetts School-Based Health Alliance invite you to a one hour ‘lunch and learn’ webinar exploring the benefits of school-based health centers and opportunities for expanding school-based health in Massachusetts.

What: Expanding School-Based Health in Massachusetts: Lunch and Learn Webinar

This webinar will discuss:

• The purpose and benefit of school-based health

• The landscape of school-based health in Massachusetts

• Areas of opportunity to expand school-based health services

• Policies that impact school-based success in Massachusetts

• School-based health resources

When: Tuesday, June 23rd from 12pm-1pm EST.

Who: Anyone is welcome to attend. This webinar is particularly relevant for federally qualified health centers, health care organization administrators, and school district leadership. Please feel free to forward to anyone you feel might benefit from this presentation.  

We had anticipated continuing our conversation regarding the role of SBHCs in safely re-opening our schools that we began on the call May 28th. (MA DOE released guidance on 6/5 re: required safety supplies for re-opening schools, and on 6/7 re: summer school and special ed. Fall re-opening guidance expected in coming weeks).

However, given recent events in our country and communities regarding racial injustice, we feel that it is important to create space to have a discussion with each other about how we're doing, and how we can do better. Let's commit to some actionable steps that we can take to make change for ourselves personally, as SBHCs, and in our broader communities. 

We hope to see you on our next call Thursday June 18 at 11:00.  In the meantime, please stay healthy and safe, and continue to let us know how we can support you and your organization during this challenging time. Thank you for all the work you do, every day. 

To receive the link please email us at info@masbha.org

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED D/T COVID 19. STAY SAFE AND STAY TUNED FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO VIRTUALLY MEET

Let’s get loud! Get together on the hill to advocate for SBHCs in Massachusetts! This year we will be at the Grand Staircase where we will lift each other and rally before meeting with our representatives. Bring yourself, bring your coworkers, bring your students!

As requested on our call 4/23, we will be hosting another zoom gathering on Thursday May 7 at 5:00PM.  We hope this offers a chance to come together, take some of the isolation out of social distancing, share our experiences, including how we continue to serve the people who rely on us, and move through this together.  This will not be a presentation, but rather a conversation. 

We will ask you to share out any resources you have found helpful in doing your work.  We will also be discussing ways we can all advocate for the work we do. 

We at the Massachusetts School-Based Health Alliance are so grateful for all you are doing to keep our communities, children, and families safe across Massachusetts. The barriers to healthcare, and the health and social issues faced by the people we serve in SBHCs are only exacerbated in times of a crisis like COVID-19, and the safety, protection, and support of healthcare workers and their families is just as critical.

While the work of MASBHA will look different in the near term, we will continue to support each of you as we always have, and want to ensure that the lines of communication are still open and will remain so.

In an effort to support and connect our community during this difficult time, we will be hosting a zoom gathering on Thursday April 23 at 3:00 PM.  We hope this offers a chance to come together, take some of the isolation out of social distancing, share our experiences, including how we continue to serve the people who rely on us, and move through this together.  This is not a presentation, but rather a conversation. 

Please stay healthy and safe, and let us know how we can support you and your organization during this challenging time. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Join us for a day of advocacy at the State House on Beacon Hill March 20th 9am-1pm! Meet your representatives and show your support for increased access to healthcare for the community!

Please RSVP via the Eventbrite link so we can get an accurate head count of how many are coming! We will be supplying a light breakfast.

Advocacy Day Program 

9:30 Registration, food
10:00 Program Start

1. Student welcome

2. MASBHA President, Allison Kilcoyne

3. Student speaker

4. Welcome by legislative hosts

   • Senator Lovely

   • Rep Walsh

   • Rep Speliotis

5. SBHC Champion Award – given by Board of Directors

6. Vice President MASBHA, Jordan Hampton

7. Judith Garcia, Chelsea City Counselor

8. A view from the front lines

   • Pamela Soto, Office Coordinator

   • Damian Archer, MD

   • Virginia Leigh, Behavioral Health provider

   • School Nurse – Worcester

9. Student speaker - Why a Youth Advisory Council is Important

10. Closing thoughts

11. Student story to get people excited about visiting legislators

We are hosting an event out in Worcester on May 31st! 

GET TICKETS!!

WOOOO WORCESTER!

Come join us this winter to meet your colleagues, brainstorm ideas for your school based health center, and kick off the new year!