Coordinated School Health
What is Coordinated School Health?
Coordinated school health (CSH) is an effective model for connecting physical, emotional, and social health with education.
CSH Goals
· Increase health knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
· Increase positive health behaviors and health outcomes.
· Improve education outcomes.
· Improve social outcomes.
These goals are achieved by implementing 8 interactive components:
1. Health Education: Health education provides students with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for making health-promoting decisions, achieving health literacy, adopting health-enhancing behaviors, and promoting the health of others.
2. Physical Education: Physical education is a school-based instructional opportunity for students to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for lifelong participation in physical activity.
3. Health Services: These services are designed to ensure access or referral to primary health care services or both, foster appropriate use of primary health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, provide emergency care for illness or injury, promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment.
4. Nutrition Services: Schools should provide access to a variety of nutritious and appealing meals that accommodate the health and nutrition needs of all students. School nutrition programs reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria to achieve nutrition integrity.
5. Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services: These services are provided to improve students’ mental, emotional, and social health and include individual and group assessments, interventions, and referrals. Organizational assessment and consultation skills of counselors contribute not only to the health of students but also to the health of the school environment.
6. Healthy and Safe School Environment: A healthy and safe school environment includes the physical and aesthetic surroundings and the psychosocial climate and culture of the school.
7. Health Promotion for Staff: Schools can provide opportunities for school staff members to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education, and health-related fitness activities. These opportunities encourage staff members to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and a greater personal commitment to the school's overall coordinated health program.
8. Family/Community Involvement: An integrated school, parent, and community approach can enhance the health and well-being of students. School health advisory councils, coalitions, and broadly based constituencies for school health can build support for school health program efforts. Schools actively solicit parent involvement and engage community resources and services to respond more effectively to the health-related needs of students.
Source: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/)
TN Coordinated School Health Website
Shelby Count Health Dept. Website
COVID-19 CDC Symptom Self-Checker