Baton Rouge Hurricane Response Health Care Centers in

Baton Rouge – Hurricane Response Health Care Centers in Schools Holley Galland MD MPH Sue Catchings, CHES

East Baton Rouge Parish School System n n n 46, 000 students – baseline 88 schools 6000 registered after Katrina 5000 have attended 2 new schools just for evacuees

Mental health services Safe and Drug Free Schools Program (I CARE) n n n Run by educators Average time at a school = ½ to 1 day a week focus – prevention of substance abuse

School Counselors n n n Hired through I CARE Supervised by school principal In elementary – do skills sessions Middle and high – scheduling Want to do more counseling

Special Children’s Services n n n Assessment teams Social workers and psychologists Focus on children with special needs

Others: n n Child Welfare and Attendance Outside agencies – B&G club, Big Buddy

Health Care Centers in Schools/ CSH n 8 school health centers n n n each has full time social worker just work in one school nurse program n n 36 nurses 20 school health assistants

Katrina Response: n n Show up at a shelter or field hospital Public Mental Health System n n n Meetings Teams in shelters – assessment, programs, referral School meetings coordinated by I CARE n n Players: all of the above plus BR Crisis Intervention Issues: volunteers, assessment, curriculum, process, collaboration, school administration buy in

Products: n n n intake forms for physical and mental health used by counselors and school nurses revised assessment tool from DISD follow up form CTSN 2 pager – in format revision psychological first aid packet for schools

Plan: n n n assessment by whoever can at building level Follow up by counselors, mental health providers Coordination by I CARE and the collaborative

Baton Rouge Area Foundation – HCCS/CSH n n n $100, 000 for temporary MH workers We have 5 in the field using the DISD revised assessment This is by invitation from the principal Consents required Forms kept confidential – school nurse files available

Challenges/discussions n n n General stress of everyone in Baton Rouge State budget cuts New collaborations Behavioral health consents Ongoing funding Getting decent data for follow up

Questions n Just Katrina kids or all kids? n n n Household crowding Poverty Jealousy How soon to do psych screen? How to get more resources/ share