School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC) discussions have facilitated action around a number of important system-level changes. Three of these current efforts are described below.
NOTE: Projects are developed independently of SHAC governance and oversight. All participants are encouraged to generate new ideas and work on their own or in collaboration with other SHAC members.
Building a Student Health Data Network
Better data sharing between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and providers is necessary to understand the health needs of students, identify gaps in service, and coordinate care.
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) and Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) are working together, along with other School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC) members, to develop a comprehensive student health data network to increase data sharing across health and education sectors. PHIMC serves as the backbone organization and is staffing this project.
The student health data network will allow Chicago Public Schools (CPS), health providers, funders, advocates, policymakers, and others to understand the health needs of students, the efficacy of services, and the impact on student health and education outcomes. Once completed, CPS and health providers will be in a better position to connect students to critical physical and behavioral health services — services that can improve students’ health and academic outcomes.
This process started with the development of a business plan combining community vision and experience with data-sharing best practices. Dozens of school health community members, representing 26 diverse organizations, are involved. The resulting plan recommended:
- A collective impact model approach
- The use of an innovative shared data platform
- A pilot phase using aggregate data
In 2021, Polk Bros. Foundation funded a pilot project, with Asemio, a social impact technology company, as the lead technology partner. The data contributors include Alternatives, Inc., CPS, Tapestry 360 Health, UCAN, and Youth Guidance. As of early 2022, the pilot stage is underway and is expected to conclude in 2023.
The results of this pilot will be used to develop a comprehensive health and education data network with necessary governance and operational structures. The overall goals are to connect students to health services and to influence equitable resource allocation, program planning, staff alignment, and school health investment decisions.
CPS Mental Health Partnerships
SHAC members formed a CPS Mental Health Partnerships Subcommittee in Spring 2022 to increase communication and collaboration between CPS and community-based mental health partners who provide services in CPS.
This subcommittee has – so far – explored how stronger data and data sharing can be leveraged to align mental health partners’ programs and services with CPS school needs, and has identified administrative barriers that make it challenging for CPS vendors to provide services in schools. Collaborative solutions are now being developed by CPS staff, community providers, and other SHAC members.
As new federal funding opportunities emerge to support school-based mental health services and programs, and the country’s understanding of the need for youth mental health support continues to grow, this subcommittee has begun strategizing about sustaining services and programs beyond current funding increases.
Expanding School Health Services Via Medicaid
SHAC members also have championed the need for ongoing and sustainable funding for school-based healthcare. As a result, HSC has taken the lead in helping Illinois expand Medicaid-funded school health services.
In 2021, HSC supported Illinois in submitting a state plan amendment to allow Medicaid reimbursement for all school health services provided to all students enrolled in Medicaid, instead of limiting reimbursement to the services included in a student’s IEP. The amendment also increases the types of providers eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.
This increased federal funding creates an opportunity to funnel investments into:
- Increasing access to and resources for behavioral and mental healthcare
- Increasing the number of school nurses and other health providers
- Partnerships between school districts and local partners and community-based organizations to build their capacity for health and SEL supports
For more information about this policy shift in Illinois, visit HSC’s website on Medicaid Expansion for School Health, or to learn what’s happening at the national level, visit HSC’s website at Healthy Students, Promising Futures.
