Northeast School Nurse Updates
Volume 17: June 26, 2020
OUR MISSION:
*** Please Share with ALL School Nurse Leaders, School Nurses, and other interested colleagues**
Dear Colleagues,
This week has brought so many emotions. Many of us are grieving the loss of our beloved colleague, Laurie Melchionda. Some of us have finished the school year and are feeling relief. Others of us are just beginning to plan for Summer programs, are reviewing guidelines, ordering supplies, and working with district reopening planning teams. Wherever you are is where you are...there is no "right way" to do things and we will continue to move forward day by day, moment by moment. We know more resources will be available throughout the next several weeks.
I have received communications from some that are asking if there is a way to connect with other school nurse leaders and school nurses to collaborate and support each other on issues related to face-to-face Summer program planning and Fall reopening. Now that the final DESE guidance has been provided for Summer or extended year programs (EYPs), and the initial DESE guidance for reopening in the Fall, many of you may find it useful to connect with other School Nurses doing the same. If your school or district is planning to have in-person summer program and you are interested in connecting with others please complete the survey HERE.There is also an opportunity for those of you who may be interested in virtually gathering over the summer in order to plan for the "re-opening" of school in the Fall. If you are interested in either/both of these options please complete the survey.
If you have trouble accessing the survey please let me know. PLEASE be aware that I will be sharing your contact information only with those who have expressed interest in connecting for planning for Summer and/or Fall school re-opening. Those who complete the survey will be provided a list of names and contact information so that you can connect with each other.
PLEASE enjoy your Summer. Go to the beach, read a book, take a walk, or just plain REST! Remember, if you need anything, are struggling, or just need to talk, please don't hesitate to reach out to me for support or assistance. Please take some time to renew your body, mind, and spirit! YOU deserve it!
Take good care,
Shanyn
Shanyn A Toulouse, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Northeast Regional School Nurse Consultant
✉️shanyn.toulouse@haverhill-ps.org
☎︎ 978.761.2307 Mobile
“In every crisis, doubt or confusion, take the higher path - the path of compassion, courage, understanding and love.” Amit Ray
Honoring the Life of Laurie Melchionda- A Time for Reflection
Through a collaboration by MDPH SHU, BU SHIELD, MSNO, and NEUSHA, school nurses came together on Thursday, June 25, 2020 for a virtual testimony: “Honoring the Life of Laurie Melchionda - A Time for Reflection”.
It was discussed that nurses can send photos and memories from Laurie’s school nursing journey to cathrynhamp@aol.com. These will be compiled and shared with the family at a later date.
Reminder: PLEASE take a moment to complete this brief MSNO survey if you haven't yet done so!
You may have seen the MSNO newsletter asking school nurses/administrators to fill out a survey about "Employment and Roles during COVID-19." It is important to understand the impact of budget challenges on districts and to highlight school nurses roles during this public health crisis. We need as many responses from MA nurses (MSNO members and nonmembers) by June 30th when the survey closes so we can have a degree of confidence that the result represents the state or regions.
Click HERE to take the survey! Thank you for the ongoing collaboration!
DESE Initial Fall School Reopening Guidance
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released Initial Fall School Reopening Guidance. Please see the DESE COVID-19 web page and download the guidance using this link.
Guidance on Summer School, Purchasing Safety Supplies, and Special Education:
On Thursday, June 4, DESE released initial summer school guidance (download) designed to help districts and schools begin planning for any possible in-person summer school programs they hope to hold. On Friday, June 5, DESE released guidance on purchasing the safety supplies (download) that districts will need to re-open schools.
The Department released detailed guidance on special education summer programs (download) on Sunday, June 7 and plans to release comprehensive guidance about in-person summer programs within two weeks.
REMINDER: School Health Screenings are "waived" until the State of Emergency is Lifted. See Memo Below!
SELF-CARE RESOURCES FOR NURSES:
Articles:
The Importance of Self-Care for Nurses and How to Put a Plan in Place
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/nursing/self-care-for-nurses/
Podcasts:
Devine Downloads (Episode 62 features the role of School Nurses)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/divine-downloads/id1450816258
Nurses Need to Focus on Self-Care: Make the Shift Podcast Series
https://elizabethscala.com/maketheshift11/
Nurses Need to Focus on Self-Care Today we’re here with Tierra Owen, RN, BS. Tierra Owen, RN, BS has been a registered nurse for more than 12 years, specializing in labor & delivery and postpartum. She recently launched Nursing Ourselves, an online platform and hub to increase nurse self-care.
Meditation:
Jean Watson: The Caring Moment
Schedule your FREE GIFT of 30 minute REMOTE REIKI!
“How are you doing? I hope you are okay! I am feeling the turbulence of these uncertain times and I am sure you are too. I invite you to make use this time. While social distancing go within, practice self awareness, and self care to support your inner peace, health and well-being."
Sue Cullen, Reiki Master of the Usui System of Reiki Healing
SCHOOL NURSES IN THE NEWS!
Do you know any School Nurses who have been "in the news?"
NEW Resources!
BU SHIELD COVID Resource Page and PPE Training Video:
Current COVID 19 resources for school health personnel (and others) are located on a dedicated page on the BU SHIELD (MDPH School Health Unit PD vendor) website here. Clicking on "PPE Training Video" will bring you here to the narrated video that gives a brief overview on transmission of COVID-19 and the proper use of PPE for COVID-19.
Becoming Your Healthiest Self: An Eat-Well, Get-Fit, Feel-Great Guide for Teens...and parents, care givers, and others that LOVE them!
MassHealth School Based Medicaid Program
The NEW "LEA Instruction Guide for Administrative Activity Claiming" (AAC) has been published on the MassHealth SBMP Resource Center (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/sbmp-resource-center).
This guide provides an overview of the key components of accurately reporting LEA expenditures that are eligible for Medicaid AAC reimbursement. Any LEA staff and billing agents involved with gathering data and/or submitting quarterly AAC claims should read these instructions and ensure that your LEA is fully complying with all requirements.
Mandated Reporting for Non-CSHS Districts
IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT DATA:
Epinephrine administration report form
https://mdph.checkboxonline.com/Epinephrine-Report-2020.survey
SBIRT data report form. This is an Excel spreadsheet that needs to be downloaded, completed, and then returned as an email attachment.
Single user version: SBIRT data collection form 2019-2020 (Single screener)
Multiple user version SBIRT data collection form 2019-2020 (Multiple screeners)
If the file does not automatically download, but opens in Excel, click “ok” when prompted then select “save as” and then save the file to a folder of your choosing (you can re-name the file if needed).
Asthma and Diabetes Survey questions may be directed via email to the project mailbox at DPH-BEH-Asthma@state.ma.us or via telephone to 617- 624-5757. Please ask for the Pediatric Asthma Coordinator.
Concussion Report:
BMI report form. This report is required of districts that are not funded through the CSHS program. CSHS-funded districts and schools should NOT submit a separate BMI report. This report is optional for non-public school districts.
REMINDERS: Mandated Reporting for CSHS Districts
IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT DATA:
CSHS MONTHLY REPORT INFO:
The correct link to the Monthly report form is shown below:
https://mdph.checkboxonline.com/MonthlyReport-2020.survey
All CSHS Report forms and instructions can be found here: CSHS pdf forms 2019-2020
Clicking the link will download a zip file.
Questions related to CSHS mandated grant reporting should go to: dph_eshs_data@dph.state.ma.us
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:
Psychological First Aid Training Videos
Psychological First Aid Part 2: The Impact of Trauma -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16wuLVWd54Y
Psychological First Aid Part 3: Principles of Psychological First Aid - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p9zBC6eChw
Psychological First Aid Parts 4 & 5: Techniques and the "Dos" and "Don’ts" of PFA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOJ2KMHoj7A
Psychological First Aid Part 6: Responder Self Care -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyZYFjylrc
First Responder Toolkit App
- Developed to help disaster responders of all disciplines to understand and manage their stress. The toolkit that is currently available is a very scaled-down Beta version of the app that will be available later this year. We are pushing out this app now because we believe that it is critical during COVID-19 that responders stay aware of their risk of burnout, compassion fatigue, and traumatic stress so that they can take steps to reduce that risk. The toolkit includes self-assessment checklists, and self-care tips and resources. It is intentionally laid out it a simple format so that highly stressed responders will find the resources simple to use and to understand. https://firstrespondertoolkit.com/
Mental Health Crisis Support:
- Contact your behavioral health provider to see if they can schedule a telehealth visit. Telehealth is a virtual therapy session. Many providers are now offering this option.
- Contact Samaritans 24/7. Call or text our 24/7 helpline any time at 1-877-870-4673
- Contact Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741
- Visit the new Massachusetts Network of Care website to locate behavioral health resources in your area.
- Contact SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline. The Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
- Contact the Massachusetts Emergency Services Program/Mobile Crisis Intervention (ESP/MCI) - 1-877-382-1609 (read more about this program)
- Take care of YOUR emotional health and help others do the same. If you need emotional support during these stressful times: Call 2-1-1 and choose the “CALL2TALK” option.
Additional Mental Health Resources:
- My Hero is You: How Kids Can Fight COVID-19
- Exploring the New Coronavirus: A Comic Just for Kids
- Learn About the Coronavirus Coloring Book
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN):
- Unicef: How teachers can talk to children about COVID-19
- National Association of School Psychologists: Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19
Multilingual resources on COVID-19:
- Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks flyer in Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, English, Farsi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. - Los Angeles County (California) Department of Mental Health
- Color in Colorado: A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners - Infographics, factsheets, and other resources in several languages
- Novel Coronavirus factsheet in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. - Washington State Department of Health
- Coronavirus print resources in English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Dari, Farsi, Urdu, Portuguese, Bengali, French, Ukrainian, and Swahili. - U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Families and Youth with Special Health Care Needs:
Contact a resource specialist for information on state and community-based assistance
Community Support Line (800) 882-1435 or https://www.mass.gov/service-details/contact-a-resource-specialist-for-information-on-state-and-community-based
The Division for Children & Youth with Special Health Needs toll free statewide Community Support Line provides information, technical assistance and resources for families with children and youth with special health needs and the providers serving these families.
Resource Specialists inform families about all of the public programs they may be eligible for, and about the state and community-based resources that may provide assistance. They answer questions, do a thorough assessment of family needs and eligibility for services and benefits and provide training to families and providers.
Preparing for Caring during COVID 19: Step by Step Strategies for Families of Children with Special Health Needs
The DPH Division for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs is pleased to host the live WebEx event: "Preparing for Caring during COVID 19: Step by Step Strategies for Families of Children with Special Health Needs."
Tuesday, June 30 | 7:30 to 8:30pm
Register at: https://tinyurl.com/ECPs4families
This free webinar will be presented by Carrie Noseworthy, founder of "A Safer Me" & Cheryl Ryan Chan, person-centered planning expert, who are both parents of children with disabilities with lived experience. The live, open captioned event will be recorded & posted on mass.gov
The presentation will provide practical, easy to follow strategies to help families be ready if a parent or caregiver should become hospitalized and someone else needs to care for their loved one in this time of COVID 19.
It was created to engage parents and professionals wherever they might be in the planning process. There are no prerequisites to the ability to plan, and the presenters work to both empower the viewer as well as decrease their anxiety over beginning the planning process.
We hope you can attend. The presenters have lots of great information to share and encourage families to "take what they need".
Please spread the word! Thanks!
For more information about the Division for Children & Youth with Special Health Needs and our programs, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-for-children-youth-with-special-health-needs
Register Today - EEE Planning for Schools, Camps and Recreational Program Stakeholders – Tuesday, July 7 @ 4:30 PM
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will host a virtual meeting/webinar with stakeholders to plan for the 2020 EEE/mosquito season. The webinar is scheduled for:
Tuesday July 7 at 4:30 PM
Register here: https://statema.webex.com/statema/onstage/g.php?MTID=e098f3f5d68af0f0bf9212917e342b2bc
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
COVID Health Literacy Project
The COVID-19 Health Literacy Project was started by Pooja Chandrashekar , a first-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, and quickly expanded into a national coalition of over 150 medical students representing over 35 institutions and 34 languages. In an effort to help patients from vulnerable communities know when and how to seek care, we set out to create and translate accessible COVID-19 information into different languages. All of our materials are carefully reviewed and vetted by faculty members at Harvard Medical School, and are created in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing.
MOST RECENT STATE and NATIONAL GUIDANCE:
These resources and guidance change very frequently! Please be sure to check the websites below at least once per day to keep up to date.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is working closely with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide updated information about the novel coronavirus outbreak.
https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
Safety Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting for COVID-19
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Resource Page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Resources for K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs:
CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)
Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) provides timely, accurate, and credible information to clinicians related to emergency preparedness and response and emerging public health threats. COCA fosters partnerships with national clinician organizations to strengthen information-sharing networks before, during, and after a public health emergency.
COCA helps to strengthen the emergency response capacity of clinicians by:
- Disseminating evidence-based health information and public health emergency messages to clinicians
- Collaborating with clinicians to develop communication strategies that support health risk reduction opportunities during public emergencies
- Providing and promoting emergency preparedness and response training opportunities for clinicians
COCA prepares clinicians to respond to emerging health threats and public health emergencies by communicating relevant, timely information related to disease outbreaks, disasters, terrorism events, and other health alerts.You'll find some excellent recorded webinars and other resources here: https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) COVID-2019 Resources Page:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Minding Your Mind Webinars
The Way Forward: A Webinar Series on the Impact of Race and Trauma Understanding the correlation between racism, trauma, and its effects. Minding Your Mind clinician Dr. Carol Labor, MSEd, DrPH, will facilitate a two-part interactive conversation on the history and impact of racism and trauma in the African-American community. This program will provide participants with a comprehensive exploration of racial discrimination, critical components of trauma, and discussions on where do we go from here. These sessions will take place on July 14 (Part 1) and July 21 (Part 2) at noon.
A Conversation Around the Confluence of Race, Minority Status, and Mental Health will be led by Jordan Burnham, Director of Student Engagement, and featuring Minding Your Mind Young Adult Speakers Sarika, Brooke, Joey, and Elizabeth. This panel discussion will be appropriate for students and adults, and will take place on July 25 at 6PM EDT.
If you would like to be added to the list of participants for these thought-provoking sessions, please click here.
Signs of Suicide (S.O.S.) Training July 14, 2020
This 3 hour training will help schools plan their SOS Signs of Suicide rollout for next year. The program is completely turnkey, but we're excited to be able to offer additional support on:
- How to prepare to train students, faculty/staff, and parents
- Best practices for leading SOS discussions and eliminating stigma
- A thorough review of SOS materials and planning processes
- Ways to support students coming back into the classroom after COVID-19
Join our July 14th training here or let me know if you'd like to schedule a virtual training that's customized to your school's needs.
From our Colleagues at Boston Children's, the LEND Program, and Community Education Initiative:
For MASSTART information, go to: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/family-health/ma-technology-assistance-resource.html
For information on upcoming Community Education Initiative programs and professional day requests, go to: http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinician-resources/community-education-initiative
Teaching Remotely: A Practice Guide (Course Begins June 29, 2020)
For the past three months, the COVID-19 crisis has caused massive disruptions in every corner of our society. Schools have been heavily impacted, some closing for the year, and others transitioning to Emergency Remote Learning.
As we close one school year and begin to plan for the next, we still do not know what that year will have in store for us. We may be back to school face-to-face with a new normal. We may be online. We may use some combination of these models at different points during the school year. The process of preparing for all of these possibilities can seem overwhelming.
Whether you have been teaching remotely for three months, or are just getting started -- Remote Learning at the beginning of the school year is going to be a new experience for all of us.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
From our Family TIES Colleagues in the Northeast Region
From our MASSTART Colleagues:
MASSTART is a free service supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Our providers help families and schools plan for the health care and safety of children with special health care needs, especially those who are assisted by medical technology, so that they can attend schools safely in Massachusetts.
During school closures, MASSTART is continuing to take on new referrals, doing video and phone meetings with families, and attending virtual IEP meetings. If you know of any families that could use our help or have any questions regarding medically complex students or students supported by medical technology, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
MASSTART providers in the Northeast Region:
Stephanie Porter MSN RN
857-214-4333
Stephanie.porter@childrens.harvard.edu
Heather Engholm MPH BSN RN
857-218-4331
THANK YOU for distributing this update to ALL schools in your cities and towns! I will do my best to be available to you over the next several weeks. Be safe and healthy everyone!
Sending positive energy to you all...
Shanyn Toulouse, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Northeast Regional School Nurse Consultant
✉️shanyn.toulouse@haverhill-ps.org
Haverhill Public Schools
☎︎ 978.761.2307 Mobile