Erie in the News
For more information about Erie Family Health Center, please contact Valerie Comprelli at 312.432.7463 or vcomprelli@eriefamilyhealth.org
2008 Polk Bros. Foundation annual report excerpt
Polk Bros. Foundation Spotlights Erie School-Based Health Programs
Erie Family Health Center’s School-based Health Programs were featured in the Polk Bros. Foundation’s 2008 Annual Report. Generous support from the Polk Bros. Foundation supports school-based health at Ryerson and Henson Elementary Schools in the Humboldt Park / North Lawndale communities.
The Foundation’s support for health initiatives gives priority to programs that make services available to children and families in their communities and schools.
Children and youth face many barriers in accessing preventive health care services. They may lack insurance. Their parents may be uninformed about the need for routine check-ups. Teens may worry about confidentiality, preferring to avoid seeing a doctor rather than risk a parent finding out they have engaged in risky behavior. Recognizing these barriers, Erie Family Health Center operates school-based health centers that make high-quality, confidential, culturally competent care accessible for hundreds of Chicago public school students.
Erie’s health center at Ryerson Elementary School in Humboldt Park has served students and the surrounding community since 1993, providing more than 2,725 clinical visits in 2007. Recognizing that it may often take more than medical care to improve children’s health, the health center’s nurse/case manager also assists families with other pressing needs. She helps with enrollment in public benefit programs and links families with services to address housing and employment needs. She provides extensive health education, reaching every student in the school on topics including oral health, hygiene, fitness, reproductive health and asthma management.
For many years, Erie’s health center at Frazier Elementary School in North Lawndale provided expert medical and mental health care services to students and their families. When the school was closed, Erie worked quickly to ensure that students could continue receiving health care, moving the health center to nearby Henson Elementary. The Polk Bros. Foundation’s support for the Henson health center targets mental health services provided by a full-time social worker, who logged more than 600 visits in 2007. In addition to therapy for students, the social worker consults with teachers on classroom management techniques appropriate for students with ADHD and other behavior disorders and conducts parenting programs.
In bringing this wealth of services to students’ doorsteps, Erie can truly make a difference in their lives. Amy Valukas, Erie’s Director of School-Based Health and Health Promotion, stresses that school health centers are able to reach the most vulnerable students and their families, who might not otherwise receive health care. She explains, “by working in elementary schools, we are able to impact the health of young students, help them build resilience and coping skills, and support the entire family. Our goal is to help people learn to make healthy choices, which will benefit them throughout their lifetime.”
Article reproduced with permission from the Polk Bros. Foundation
