As students across the Hudson Valley settle into a new school year, teachers, school nurses and counselors are focused on helping them succeed. But sometimes the challenges affecting a child begin well beyond the classroom.
A family may be struggling to afford healthy food. Transportation may make it difficult to get to appointments. Housing may be unstable. These health-related social needs can affect a family’s health and well-being — and schools can play an important role in connecting families with support.
“Those needs can manifest themselves in a number of different ways,” said Nalini Purvis, Chief of Community Engagement and Executive Director of Planetree at Sun River Health, a partner in the Hudson Valley Care Coalition (HVCC) Social Care Network. Rather than expecting school staff to identify every need, Purvis says schools can help by making sure families know where resources are available.
Meeting Families Where They Are
Sun River Health is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in New York State and the third largest in the country, according to Purvis. Its 50 locations span the Hudson Valley, New York City and Suffolk County, providing primary and preventive care as well as dental, women’s health, behavioral health, nutrition and other services.
As an FQHC, Sun River provides care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, with a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. That commitment to access also takes Sun River beyond its health centers and into the communities it serves.
In Peekskill, for example, Sun River’s relationship with the city school district goes back nearly 30 years. Through the district’s Family Resource Center and other school activities, Sun River helps connect students and families with physicals, vaccinations, health education and other services.
Sun River also participates in back-to-school events and Peekskill’s “Saturday Academy,” a districtwide program that brings families together for workshops, programs and community resources. The organization has built similar relationships with other school districts, including Yonkers.
Looking Beyond the Doctor’s Office
Sun River has long recognized that what happens outside the doctor’s office can directly affect health.
A patient with diabetes may know what foods they should eat but struggle to afford them. A family may be referred to a food pantry but lack transportation to get there.
The HVCC Social Care Network builds on that work by helping eligible Medicaid members connect with services addressing needs such as food and nutrition, housing and transportation.
Purvis described the technology and coordination made possible through the Social Care Network as a “game changer.” In the past, a provider might refer someone to a community resource without knowing whether that person ultimately received help. The Social Care Network supports a more coordinated, “closed-loop” referral process that can connect an identified need with services and follow-up.
What Can Schools Do?
Purvis cautions against expecting teachers, guidance counselors or school nurses to determine whether a family has Medicaid or qualifies for a particular program.
Instead, schools can make information about available resources easy for all families to find — at back-to-school nights, through family resource centers, in student backpacks and newsletters, or through school nurses, social workers and community-school programs.
Information should also be accessible across different languages and reading levels and shared in a way that preserves families’ dignity.
“There are resources out here to help support you,” Purvis said.
A Resource to Share With Families
Schools and community partners can help spread the word. View and download HVCC’s multilingual Social Care Network flyer to share information with families about available food and nutrition, housing and transportation support.
A Simple Message for the New School Year
For school professionals, the message doesn’t need to be complicated:
You don’t have to solve every problem facing a student or family. You can help connect them to someone who can.
The Hudson Valley Care Coalition’s Social Care Network brings healthcare providers and community organizations together across the region to help Medicaid members identify health-related social needs and connect with available resources.
As the new school year gets underway, helping families make those connections is one more way schools can support children in arriving healthy, supported and ready to learn.
Need help with food, housing or transportation?
Medicaid members in the Hudson Valley can connect with Hudson Valley Care Coalition to learn more about the Social Care Network and complete a screening for available services.
