[Sbbh] FW: Kathleen's Letter to the Editor got printed! Nice!

[Colleen Kudla]

Please see below!

 

Colleen Kudla, MPH

Program Manager, Steering Committee

School Health Connection

An Affiliated Program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)

1515 Poydras, Suite 1200, New Orleans, LA 70112

504.872.0772

www.schoolhealthconnection.org

www.lphi.org

"Bringing People, Ideas and Resources Together"

 

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

 

________________________________

From: Sherry Lecocq 
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 9:12 AM
To: Marsha Broussard
Cc: Jason Melancon; Tiffany Scuderi
Subject: Kathleen's Letter to the Editor got printed! Nice!

 

http://blog.nola.com/letterstotheeditor/2009/06/cutting_school_social_wo
rkers.html#more

 


Cutting school social workers costly in long run


Posted by Letters to the Editor
<http://blog.nola.com/letterstotheeditor/about.html>  June 22, 2009
6:09PM


Re: "Still top-heavy, " Our Opinions, June 18. I am deeply troubled to
learn that Orleans Parish School Board schools are compelled to lay off
on-site health nurses and social workers.

As the chairperson of a coalition of community-based organizations that
provide mental and behavioral health services in schools, I represent
the opinions and concerns of a larger group. Our agencies work in
schools throughout the area, providing essential services that help
students, staff and families to address serious social, health and
behavioral issues.

We could not perform our jobs without the coordination of school nurses
and social workers who are in the schools and have the pulse of the
students and the health environment of the school.

Kids and families are still suffering from the disorganization of their
personal lives and the reorganization of public schools. Three years
after a traumatic event, feelings of anxiety and depression often
worsen.

Recent data collected demonstrate an increase in need for some level of
mental health intervention from 37 percent to 43 percent (the national
average is 5 to 9 percent). Additionally, many students have significant
acute physical health needs requiring the attention of a nurse.

In light of ongoing efforts to restructure the school system, this is
not the time to decrease support services in schools, but rather a great
opportunity to improve and expand them.

We should be building a support system using school nurses and social
workers as the core and community providers as support.

These personnel have proven their value through the decades. There will
be no long-term savings in cutting them.

Kathleen Whalen, LCSW

Chairperson

School Behavioral Health Subcommittee

School Health Connection

New Orleans

 

 

 

Sherry LeCocq

Communications Coordinator

Louisiana Public Health Institute

1515 Poydras St. Suite 1200

New Orleans, LA 70122

Office (504) 301-9814

Fax (504) 301-9801

www.lphi.org  

 

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