Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-2021; 12-5 - Memorandum - Use of School Nurses and School Resource Officers by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic 1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES 405 Meadowlands Drive Phone(919)245-2152 Post Office Box 8181 Fax(919)644-3324 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 MEMORANDUM To: Board of County Commissioners From: Paul Laughton, Deputy Director Date: February 16, 2021 RE: Use of School Nurses and School Resource Officers by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic As a follow-up from a Commissioner request, please see attached for information provided by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools on their use of School Nurses and School Resource Officers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer www.orangecountync.gov 2 - Orange County Schools 200 East King Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Phone: 919-732-8126 Fax: 919-732-8120 www.orangecountyfirst.com DATE: November 24, 2020 TO: Orange County Board of County Commissioners FROM: Dr. Monique Felder, Superintendent RE: School Nurses and School Resources Officers during remote instruction As a result of generous and supportive Orange County Commissioners, Orange County Schools is afforded a school nurse in each of our schools. During the first two quarters of the FY2021 academic year, even though our students have been in remote learning, School Nurses have remained instrumental in the education environment. These individuals have been instrumental in the development and implementation of the tiered return to school plans as well as advising on what Personal Protective Equipment supplies are needed for schools to open,for specific classrooms that contain special needs students, plans and processes for entrances to the school buildings, onto the school buses and setting up care rooms should students get sick as well as an attestation process for everyone. School Nurses have also worked with the Orange County Health Department to support contact tracing for the county as well as contact tracing with the Orange County Human Resources Department for Orange County School employees. Additionally, as the school district has continued to prepare and deliver meals throughout the community,our school nurses and school resource officers have been supporting staff with safety procedures for food distribution during this pandemic. School Resource Officers have been ever present ensuring the safety of our staff delivering food and supplies to our students throughout the County as well as assisting with the delivery and helping the School Social Workers with safety and welfare checks of our students and families affected by the pandemic. School Resource Officers continue to work with the School Social Workers to do Social and emotional well checks for identified students as need. We are excited to begin transitioning students back into the classroom beginning January 25. Our plans include having resource officers available and present to assist with the transition back to the in person school environment. School Resource Officers have already begun providing that support in several of our schools where some of our Special Education, Pre-K and Head start students have returned. We have seen and experienced the morphing of the traditional school model since March. Even though our students have not been in our buildings for in person instruction,we have remained committed to their educational needs as well as their social and emotion needs,which have only magnified. Without the continued backing and collaboration of our community partners,this journey would be even more difficult. Thank you for your continual support. 3 HILL- ORO C4 HMEL Y C January 7, 2021 Paul Laughton, Deputy Director Orange County Finance and Administrative Services 405 Meadowlands Drive Hillsborough, NC 27278 Re: Information Requested on School Nurses and School Resource Officers Dear Mr. Loughton, The following information is being submitted on behalf of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools regarding the use of school nurses and school resource officers during FY'21 as requested. The CHCCS School Health Nurses have played an essential role in maintaining the high standards of community/public health services for all students and staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Key areas of focus in their work directly related to COVID-19 can be found in the School Health Strategic Plan Under Community Health. Additionally, it is also important to note school health nurses continued to lead with flexibility in performing their other job roles and responsibilities during this time including school operation and safety plans, PPE orders, PPE training for staff and ensuring effective contact tracing protocols and processes are in place in collaboration with the Orange County Health Department. Additional information is attached to this letter with information on the activities school nurses will be engaged in throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. The use of School Resource Officers in the school district was suspended effective August 15, 2020 as the contract for services was not renewed for the 2020-2021 school year. The Board of Education directed the Interim Superintendent to engage key stakeholders by forming a SRO Task Force to review and ascertain the need for school resource officers in schools and to make future recommendations on the program. The SRO Task Force met on December 2- and December 16,h. We are in the process of planning for and scheduling the next meeting of the task force. Prior to August 15, 2020, School Resource Officers were engaged in the following tasks, initiatives and work to assist the district with the implementation of safe school campuses: assisted administrators in updating safe school plans, helped school staff with food for students' pickup and laptop distributions, worked with principals on updating cameras and radios, helped in community outreach to maintain a connection with students, performed 4 perimeter security checks on windows, doors, etc. to do work orders for safety related issues and visited elementary schools to learn layouts of schools as a part of emergency preparedness efforts. Middle school SROs worked on 10-month contracts and high school SROs worked on 12-month contracts. Outside of the pandemic, some additional tasks SROs would assist with included: SRO summit (where police, administrators and school lawyers come together to discuss best practices), student ambassador summer program, attendance at SRO conference, building relationships with students by attending summer school and attending sports camps. Should you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Patrick Abele, Assistant Superintendent of Operations. Sincerely, Nyah Hamlett, ECI D. Superintendent Cc: CHCCS Board of Education Orange County Board of County Commissioners Enclosure (1) School Health Strategic Plan Under Community Health Lincoln Center.750 S. Merritt Mill Road .Chapel Hill, NC 27516-2878.919-967-8211.www.chccs.org 5 School Nurse Strategic Plan 20-21 Strategies Roles and Responsibilities Leadership • Attend School Nurse Association of North Carolina&National Association of School Nurses Updates Concerning COVID-19 • PBNC yearly vision training • CPR Instructor Training and Required Recertifications/professional Development • Setting personal/professional goals and development plans that are reviewed bi-annually for evaluation purposes • Intro. to 504 and Health Plans • SIR training- March 19 • Restorative Practice Training • Introduction to MTSS- Review online information • Youth Mental Health First Aid(offered monthly) • Trauma Awareness Inservices-via PLC • New School Health Nurse Certification Review-Weekly • Bi-Weekly School Health Nurse Consultant COVID-19 Updates w/Ann Nicholes & J. Simone Care Coordination • Update Immunization/Health Assessment Resource List for parents • Identify 2020-2021 first Responders, complete training and replenish needed supplies • Developed and Supplied additional CPR Personal Protective Equipment as Recommended by ARC • Check all AED's/Replace batteries and pads as needed/Stock with Additional PPE per new CPR requirements (COVID-19) • Train school staff as appropriate regarding health and emergency care plans -Virtually • Develop health plans, collaborate with IEP/504/ECAC team for students who need accommodations under ADA Quality Improvement • Update/Upload HOA documentation of Immunization records, diet orders, EMP's, etc. 6 • • Required for all new nurses and a,good refresher for anyone who completed it years ago. • Brainstorm ways to improve physical health and social well-being to support learning and achievement! • *Participate in CHCCS: School Nurses virtual PLC every Thursday at LOAM • New Nurse Orientation Meetings Weekly • - Review the continuing education offerings and complete according to your personal learning needs and development. Standard of Practice • CHCCS Board Policies • Homebound Information • CHCCS On-line Health and Behavioral Training Modules • Develop PowerSchool How To's with screenshot instructions that can be shared with other nurses • Develop a New Nurse Orientation Notebook • Develop/Implement Health Office Anywhere transition to Frontline Education Updates and COVID contact tracing Improvements Community Public Health • Case-find and prioritize students with special health care needs/chronic conditions. Plan accordingly to work with those students, their parents/guardians, and appropriate staff as needed • Work with parents/guardians, school staff, and community health care providers to identify and follow up with students needing required immunization • Identify staff trained for medication administration, if additional staff needed get delegation from principal and complete required training • Review Incident and Injury reports for area of concern and work with admin to problem area solve • Monitor COVID-19/Influenza/communicable diseases in Schools and Reporting to OCHD for Actions and Contact Guidance • Identify students with chronic absences w/health conditions and work with the school social 7 worker to improve attendance • Responsible for monitoring and ordering all PPE for their school including the ECAC population • Developed and piloted Handwashing classes to be presented to students before the return to school • Participated in the development of a"Return to School" district wide film for parents, staff, and students. • Coordinated with the OCHD to develop a secure contact tracing system for reporting CHCCS suspected,presumptive, and positive cases • Weekly meeting with the OCHD to review case scenarios and get timely updates • Served on district and school reopening plans • Resource for staff regarding COVID-19 • Monitoring Strong Schools Public Health ToolKit k-12 • ChildCare guideline Updates for PreK concerning COVID-19