Guidance for Washington School-Based Health Centers for 2020-2021 ...

Guidance for

Washington School-Based Health Centers

for 2020-2021 School Reopening

Released on June 29, 2020

by the

Washington School-Based Health Alliance

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3

About this SBHC Guidance ............................................................................................................................ 4

Context of School Reopening in Washington ............................................................................................... 5

Considerations for SBHCs in School Reopening:

Communication with Local Health Jurisdiction ............................................................................... 6

SBHC Services during Reopening ..................................................................................................... 6

Coordination and Collaboration with School District and School.................................................... 7

Student and Family Outreach, Enrollment and Communication..................................................... 8

Addressing Student Needs ............................................................................................................... 9

Operations and Physical Space ...................................................................................................... 11

Tools / Appendices:

A. Summary Checklist of Considerations for SBHCs in School Reopening .................................. 13

B. Example SBHC Fact Sheet about SBHC Services and Operations during School Reopening ... 15

Resources / References............................................................................................................................... 16

Version 1, released June 29, 2020

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Introduction

With school closures due to COVID-19, Washington children and adolescents missed over three months

of in-person school in the spring of 2020. For many who rely on school-based health centers (SBHCs),

and with limited access to health care in the community during the pandemic, this means months of

untreated chronic illness, missed preventive care visits and required vaccinations, and compounded

unmet mental health needs. Many students and staff will return to school with the added stress of

illness and loss of loved ones due to COVID-19, anxiety due to isolation and navigating distance learning,

the impacts of economic instability within their families, and heightened racial trauma. We also know

that COVID-19 will continue to be a threat in many communities when schools re-open. School-based

health centers and services will play a critical, frontline role in addressing the concerns and needs of

school communities as we all do our part to control further spread of the virus.

When schools reopen, SBHCs can provide preventive and routine health care that was deferred due to

COVID-19, and they will continue to provide other critical physical, behavioral health, and other

healthcare services such as dental care for Washington¡¯s most vulnerable youth. Healthcare providers

and schools/districts must develop and maintain a collaborative effort¡ªnow more than ever¡ªto

address student and school community needs.

This guidance document was created to support and foster additional collaboration between existing

SBHCs and the school communities they serve, and to encourage school districts and healthcare

providers to consider new collaborations to address student needs.

In addition to planning for the safe re-entry of students, we urge you to prioritize racial equity and the

social-emotional well-being of students through your SBHCs and in the support you provide to school

district partners. A heightened awareness of and attention to racism, trauma and mental health will be

critical, as well as diligence to measures to prevent discrimination and stigmatization surrounding

COVID-19. Additional emphasis should be given to crisis response and maintaining fair discipline

practices as students return to school after months of disruption in their daily routines.

Version 1, released June 29, 2020

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About this SBHC Guidance

This resource was developed to support coordination between Washington school-based health centers

(SBHCs) and their school district partners as schools reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goals of

this guidance are to:

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encourage a unified statewide approach for coordination between SBHCs and school districts for

reopening;

help SBHCs and schools leverage resources to address the needs of students;

help to clarify boundaries/responsibilities between schools and SBHCs for student care as schools

reopen.

This document is intended to be used as a template for guiding local discussions and will be updated

periodically to remain current. Local discussions will be informed by guidance from the Office of

Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and

local health jurisdictions; school district and school reopening planning; and SBHC sponsoring agencies.

Given variation in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across Washington as well as the unique local

response, all decisions should be made in close collaboration with local school districts and local and

state public health authorities.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with additional questions or needs as you collaborate in reopening

your school-based health centers. Thank you for all you do to support our students in Washington.

Sandy Lennon, Executive Director

Washington School-Based Health Alliance

Email: slennon@

About the Washington School-Based Health Alliance

The Washington School-Based Health Alliance (WA SBHA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed

to advancing health care access in schools and helping ensure the health and academic success of

children and youth statewide.

Website:

Email: info@ / slennon@

The WA SBHA is a state affiliate of the national School-Based Health Alliance.

Acknowledgements

The WA SBHA would like to thank all those who provided considerations for and review of this

document: members of our Washington SBHC community broadly, including SBHC staff, administrators

and medical directors; school nurses; staff at Public Health¡ªSeattle & King County; Kaiser Permanente

Thriving Schools; and members of the WA SBHA board of directors. Thank you to the Show-Me SchoolBased Health Alliance of Missouri for allowing us to borrow from their own SBHC guidance.

Version 1, released June 29, 2020

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Context of School Reopening in Washington

On June 11, 2020, Washington¡¯s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction released the OSPI

Reopening Washington Schools 2020 District Planning Guide. This guidance will likely be updated in the

coming months. Please check back regularly for the latest version.

OSPI¡¯s guidance, which includes health and safety requirements from the Department of Health,

provides a broad framework within which local school districts and schools will plan for reopening with

additional guidance from their local health jurisdictions.

OSPI¡¯s guidance provides important context for SBHC guidance included in this document:

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There is a presumption of a fall opening.

The priority is to serve students with as much face-to-face time as possible, consistent with

health and safety needs.

Alternative models, if schools cannot meet physical distancing requirements and are limited in

face-to-face instruction, fall within these concepts:

o Split or rotating schedules with continuous remote learning

o Phased-in opening with continuous remote learning

o Continuous (remote) Learning 2.0

School districts will need to plan for:

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Rapid transitions between models

A flexible school calendar in case of lost instructional time

OSPI¡¯s guidance lays out commitments and principles for our education system in the 2020-2021 school

year, some worth highlighting here as they are also key to our work in school-based health care:

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Dismantle systemic racism and support students furthest from educational justice, including:

o students of color

o students with disabilities

o students who are English learners

o students who are migratory

o students experiencing homelessness

o students in foster care

o students experiencing intergenerational poverty

o students who identify as LGBTQ+

Seek and utilize student and family voice when planning for fall, as much has changed.

Seize the opportunity to make long-desired changes or to make permanent best practices

learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, and anti-racist practices are foundational. Plan for staff

training and support in these practices.

Support staff in attending to self-care.

Version 1, released June 29, 2020

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