Issue 7 Spring 2021

Healthcare Access Resources for Students and Families

Immunization Resources
Washington state’s school immunization laws require students to be up-to-date before returning to campus for in-person learning and activities. The laws, in effect as of August 1, 2020, remove the 30-day grace period previously allowed for students to receive missing vaccine doses. Our Immunization Resource documents, available in 12 languages, provide information for Federally-Qualified Health Centers in (and near) Snohomish County. These sites have specialists who help families register for Washington Apple Health coverage and establish a medical home for comprehensive health care, including all routinely recommended vaccines. To access Washington Apple Health visit the Healthcare Authority’s Language Access (includes English) or Interpreter Services webpage. Families can go to the Program Administration page for more information on benefits and services or to change their assigned provider.

Do you need help evaluating student immunization records or have questions about vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases or the recommended vaccine schedule?
Susan Babcock, Public Health Nurse, is available to help. Reach out to her at 425-551-8715, or email sbabcock@snohd.org.

Dental Resources
Too many school absences are attributed to dental problems. Snohomish Health District’s Maternal Child Health program maintains a printable, low-cost dental resource list for Apple Health families or families with no insurance. The list is available for download in English, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese or by calling 425-339-5219 to request a copy by mail.

DentistLink is a free service for Washington residents who need help finding dental care regardless of insurance status. Referral specialists help find a dentist, schedule appointments, and arrange transportation and childcare. Interpreter services are also available. To find a dentist, call (844) 888-5465 or visit www.dentistlink.org.

Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) is a Snohomish Health District program that provides more intensive case management for children ages 0-5 who are insured by Medicaid. They help families identify a dentist for their child, answer questions about oral health, and address common barriers to care. To access ABCD services, contact Laura Nay at 425-339-5219 or email dentalinfo@snohd.org.

Visit the Snohomish Health District’s Find a Dentist and Immunizations webpages for more information.

COVID-19 Course for Teachers

This course is being offered as a public health service to teachers in our community, and offers one in-service hour (1.0 STARS credit which can be credited as a clock hour) at no cost for a limited time. The novel coronavirus has changed the way we live. The fallout from this contagious virus has impacted normal daily activities that children engage in. To contain the spread of COVID-19, unprecedented emphasis is now on basic hygiene practices, many of which teachers already know well: diligent handwashing, coughing and sneezing into tissues and sleeves, keeping staff and children physically distanced, and following strict guidelines for keeping sick children and staff home.

childcare | Course catalog | COVID-19 Class for Washington State Schools (talentlms.com)

Overdose Prevention Training

Snohomish Health District has an online training aimed at educating high school nurses and school staff to respond to opioid overdoses that began its pilot stage this week. This training will assist school districts in Snohomish County in adhering to state law that requires high schools in districts with over 2,000 students to be trained to reverse overdoses and have reversal medication (Narcan nasal spray) on school grounds. If you or your staff would be interested in testing the training, or if you have pressing training needs, you can email Abby Jernberg at ajernberg@snohd.org and she will provide you with the link. Everyone who completes the training will receive a certificate.

Once this training has finished its pilot stage, we will send an email out to each school district to ensure they have access to the online platform.
If your school needs to obtain Narcan doses or your district has yet to draft an official overdose reversal policy, the manufactures of Narcan, Emergent BioSolutions, provide resources on their website. They have an online toolkit to assist with drafting policies and have a program that allows each high school to order a free kit of Narcan (2 doses). https://www.narcan.com/community/education-awareness-and-training-resources/

We also encourage all school districts to review guidance related to legislation requirements sent out by OSPI. https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/healthservices/pubdocs/Opioid-RelatedOverdoseTraininginSchools.pdf
Please email Abby Jernberg at ajernberg@snohd.org if you have any questions regarding this training pilot or obtaining free Narcan kits from Emergent BioSolutions.

Second Annual Teaching Cannabis Awareness &
Prevention Virtual 2021 Conference

This conference is for educators, TUPE Coordinators, community-based organizations, school administrators, healthcare providers, school resource officers, parents, and anyone else working with youth to learn about the latest research on youth and cannabis, including products being used, reasons for use, health effects, and the latest available lessons forteaching cannabis education and prevention to middle school and high school aged youth. For more information and registration instructions, download this flyer.

Resources for Student Mental Health in the Wake of COVID

Many students, educators, and their families may need additional support because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources on this page are intended to support schools, students, parents, and families in recognizing and responding to signs of emotional and behavioral distress.