Comprehensive School Health: (CSH)

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Comprehensive School Health (CSH)

• An Integrated Approach to Promoting Wellness in a
  Healthy School Setting

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CSH Background History
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Horses are easier to ride in the direction they
are going.
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Presentation Goals

• Visioning exercise
• Introduction of the Comprehensive School Health
  Concept
• Group Work Opportunities Barriers
• Where do we go from here?

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Visioning What Constitutes a Healthy School?

• Lets imagine that your school has made a
  conscious decision to become the healthiest
  school possible. As the School Nurse, what might
  you notice.
• as you walk through the school?
• as you meet with the principal teachers?
• as you meet the students?
• as you meet the parents?

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• Goals of comprehensive approaches
• to promote health and wellness
• to prevent specific diseases, disorders, and
  injury
• to intervene to assist children and youth who are
  in need or at risk
• to help support those who are already
  experiencing poor health

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Definition from CASH and CNA

• A comprehensive school health approach includes
  a broad spectrum of activities and services that
  take place in schools and surrounding communities
  and enable children and youth to enhance their
  health, develop to their fullest potential, and
  establish productive and satisfying relationships
  in their present and future lives.

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Basically...

• promoting skills, values, and behaviours for
  healthy living.

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Why has this approach gained so much popularity
over the years?

• because young people are more at risk
• because better health means better learning
• because its cost-effective
• because it works! --gt --gt --gt --gt --gt

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• Comprehensive approaches that link the
  development of skills and knowledge with
  different forms of social support, services, or
  healthier physical environments are most
  effective.

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Why target schools for health promotion
activities?

• other than family, main source of influence on
  children
• workplace of 20 of our population (students and
  educators)
• another 30 of the population (parents) are
  directly involved with schools through their
  children

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Organizations that have officially endorsed the
concept of CSH
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Canada CSH

• In 1990..only 3 of educators and health leaders
  were familiar with the term

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• By 1998..
• 10/12 education ministries
• 5/12 health ministries
• 40 of school boards
• and 53 of Public Health Units ..e
  xplicitly support CSH

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Components of a CSH Program

• Formal and informal health instruction in schools
• Support services for students and families
• Social support from parents, peers, staff, local
  community, media, and policymakers
• Healthy physical environments

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Components
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Criteria for Instruction

• Active health promotion
• Comprehensive curriculum in the areas of health,
  physical education, personal development, and
  family studies
• High-quality teaching/materials
• Appropriate teaching methods using varied
  learning strategies
• Effective teacher inservice training

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Examples of Instruction Strategies

• Integration of health into other subject areas
• Recognition of formal informal learning
  opportunities with peers and parents

• Lifestyle-focused physical education focusing on
  awareness, decision-making, skill-building,
  social action, attitudinal behavioural change

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Criteria for Support Services

• Access to appropriate health social services
  and information for children and families
• Inter-agency, inter-ministry, and
  inter-disciplinary cooperation, coordination of
  services, comprehensive policies
• Inter-agency committee
• Inservice training for nurses and professionals

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Examples of Support Services

• student services
• school guidance counselling services
• child protection
• services for special needs students

• an integrated web of services offering
  appraisals, early identification, referrals,
  treatment and follow-up

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Criteria for Social Support

• positive school climate
• involvement of all stakeholders
• formal needs assessment planning
• active student participation
• community involvement in the school
• community coordination
• active parental/family involvement

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Examples of Social Support

• role modelling by school staff
• adult mentorship
• peer support programs/ leadership
• staff wellness programs
• comprehensive wellness programs

• appropriate school discipline policies
• community development
• media cooperation
• healthy public policy from school boards, boards
  of health and social service agencies

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Criteria for Building a Healthy Physical
Environment

• Comply with legislation
• Implement health-related policies
• Tell the school
• Tell the community

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Examples of Environmental Support

• safety and accident prevention measures in the
  school and playgrounds
• environmental health standards for sanitation,
  clean water, hygiene, lighting, noise

• healthy food services and/or meal programs
• smoke-free school policies
• alcohol and drug-free policies
• harassment, discrimination, and bullying policies

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Example of the concept in action
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CASHs recommended six step process for
implementation

• Review idea. Talk with colleagues.
• List activities/programs already happening in
  your community.
• Connect these activities/programs maintain
  regular communications.

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Six steps, cont

• Brainstorm possible joint activities/ projects.
• Priorize. Choose one or two activities. Develop
  an action plan.
• Assess. Evaluate. Celebrate successes. Choose
  your next steps.

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Group Work

• What are the opportunities and barriers to
  implementing a CSH Model in our schools?

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Taking Action One Step at a Time

• Start simply
• Be imaginative
• Work to gradually implement elements over a
  period of time
• Have fun!

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The turtle wins the race.
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Next Steps