WVSBHA - July 2007

Advocacy Update

An advocacy day to remember! WVSBHA members joined over 800 school health advocates in Washington D.C. on June 29 for a rally and visits to congressional offices in support of bills that would sustain and expand school-based health centers. Staff from Riverside Health Center presented compelling stories and delivered over 400 postcards to WV’s congressional delegation in support of S.600, the School-Based Health Clinic Establishment Act, and S.1669/H.2870, the Healthy Schools Act. You can listen to rally day speeches, and get additional information by visiting: www.nasbhc.org.
SCHIP Reauthorization Update: On July 19, the Senate Finance Committee approved a bi-partisan proposal to reauthorize the Children Health Insurance Program. The bill is being considered on the Senate floor, and a House version is expected soon. The Senate Finance proposal, with leadership from Senator Jay Rockefeller, would allow states to expand coverage of up to 300 percent of poverty, and would increase funding for children’s coverage by $35 billion over baseline levels using an increase in federal tobacco taxes. President Bush has said he will veto the legislation and regards expansion of the program as a first step toward government-provided health insurance for all Americans. Key questions in the current debate are summarized in a white paper by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at www.kff.org/kcmu.
Fall Open House Campaign: School-Based Health Centers and services will be showcased this fall with an Open House Campaign across the state. Stay tuned for a schedule of events to be posted: www.wvsbha.org.
WV Rural Health Association Community Health Forums: Come and voice your priorities for rural health care delivery needs. The WVRHA is hosting a series of regional forums to identify health care issues in rural WV. Forums will be held in 7 locations across the state through the month of August. For dates and locations, please e-mail Alicia Tyler, tyler@hepc.wvnet.edu.

Upcoming Educational Opportunities:

22nd Annual WV Primary Care Association Conference, July 31-August 3, Oglebay Resort. Register on-line at www.wvpca.org. Registration is Now Open: Back to School Workshop! The WV School Health Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center at Marshall University will be hosting the 2007 Back-To-School Workshop for School-Based Health Centers and Mental Health Programs on August 9, at the Days Inn in Flatwoods. Topics will include: Self-Injury: Assessment, Treatment and Resources; Networking; Updates; State-wide Data Reporting; Clinical Quality Improvement; and much more. To register, contact Paula Fields, pfields4@yahoo.com. Third Annual Conference on Child Health and Development: October 15-16, Charleston Marriott. This conference will feature concurrent sessions on school mental health, children’s oral health, and infant health and child development. To register, visit: www.wvhealthykids.org.
Fifteenth Annual WV Rural Health Conference: October 23-25, Glade Springs Resort. For program and registration information, visit: www.wvochs.org.

Funding Announcement from Prevent Child Abuse WV

Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia has announced two grant opportunities for organizations and qualified individuals working to prevent child abuse and neglect in West Virginia. The purpose of these grant programs is the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect in the state. The Good Beginnings Mini-Grant Program will provide up to 25 to 30 grants of up to $1,000 per year for community-based programs that have creative strategies for preventing or reducing the occurrence of child abuse and neglect. Applications may be submitted by public or private institutions and faith-based communities for the Good Beginnings mini-grant program.
In addition, Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia is inviting community teams to apply to participate in its successful Partners In Prevention initiative. Partners in Prevention is a statewide network of twenty-five community teams implementing various community projects and working together to keep children safe. Up to ten new community teams are expected to be added to the network this fall. The Partners In Prevention grant program requires a team of at least three organizations working together in a community. Participating teams receive annual grants of up to $7,500 to conduct local projects to strengthen families, protect children and engage the public in these efforts
Application guidelines for Good Beginnings Mini-Grants and Partners in Prevention Community Teams are available on the Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia website at www.preventchildabusewv.org. Application deadline is August 15, 2007. For information specific to the grant programs, contact Genny Ferri, Community Partnerships Coordinator, at 1-866-4-KidsWV (866-454-3798) or email genny@teamwv.org.

WV’s Longest Line Dance: Join the WV Primary Care Association, WV on the Move and WOLF 96.1 to kickoff of the WV’s Longest Line Dance. The event will be held August 18, 5:00 at Charleston Appalachian Power Park. For more information, visit: www.wvpca.org.