Our Work
As the Missouri State Affiliate of the National School-Based Health Alliance, we represent the school-based health care movement “in the field” and provide valuable input into the day-to-day operational needs of school health care providers. The Show-Me School-Based Health Alliance of Missouri creates synergy around school-based health through education and training programs, networking, data collection and evaluation, advocacy, and provision of technical assistance for sites. Our vision for a comprehensive program to support school-based health in Missouri includes:
Education and Training
The Alliance collects and provides resources to train participants in best practices and trends in school-based health care delivery. The Alliance offers a variety of training opportunities including webinars, Listening & Learning sessions, and a vast repository of resources to support healthcare providers or schools in the planning, implementation, and sustainability of school-based health programs.
Networking
One of the strengths of The Alliance is its ability to bring people together. As the only statewide organization focused on promoting school-based health programs, we have made it a priority to connect school nurses, community health clinics, behavioral health providers, school administrators, counselors, parents, students, government agencies and anyone else interested in supporting this important investment in children’s health. We have developed peer-to-peer networking opportunities, including virtual Communities of Practices (CoPs) for school-based health providers and administrators across all program types. The CoPs give the opportunity for providers and program operators to share challenges, best practices, and resources, and discuss emergent issues with their peers.
If interested in participating in the Alliance’s Communities of Practice, please inquire at info@moschoolhealth.org.
Data Collection and Evaluation
School-based health is grounded in research that confirms it as a solution that makes a difference in educational and health outcomes for children. The Alliance is committed to collecting and analyzing data and information about school-based health in Missouri — and then using that information to advocate for funding and resources to promote expansion and to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and networking. The Alliance also assists programs in improving their own data collection and evaluation tools.
Click here to view the briefs from the 2019-2020 Census of School-Based Health Programs.
Technical Assistance
The Alliance provides assistance to potential and current sites to help them overcome obstacles, follow best practices, and reach more children. Technical assistance may include:
- Customized workshops
- 1:1 on-site consultation
- Community convenings or meetings
For example, start-up programs may receive the following services:
- Resources and tools to help with needs assessment
- Assistance with creating a plan to make a school-based health care program a reality in a specific location
- Connections to potential health sponsors
- Guidelines for build out and fundraising
Contact Christopher Morrison, Program Manager, at cmorrison@moschoolhealth.org for more information about receiving technical assistance.
Advocacy
Informing elected officials at the local, state, and federal level about the success of school-based health strategies makes a difference! The Alliance seeks to inform our community and members about legislation and policy that could impact their programming and provide tools to make it easy to share information with policy makers.
