Leadership in health, safety and wellness

Southwest Human Development Head Start follows the Head Start “whole child” model that addresses the entire spectrum of needs that enable learning. Along with support for medical and dental care, prenatal care, mental health, immunizations, and early intervention for delays and disabilities, our progressive wellness initiatives include mindfulness and yoga.

THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR was a milestone in the return to pre-pandemic levels of visits to primary care providers for medical and dental care and prevention. With health and safety strategies in place to protect from COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, the highest priority was promoting health literacy and connecting families to the resources that would enable them to meet Head Start health standards. The application process for new families facilitates this process by providing a biopsychological profile of overall health factors, family strengths and needs, and windows into the child’s development. Ongoing updates and information on health and wellness are highlighted in our monthly Home & School Connection newsletter, presented in a culturally sensitive and easily understood style.

Our continuing partnership with Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) provides wellness services for our families, along with powerful support for improving health outcomes and promoting health literacy and equity. A new initiative in 2022-23 gave our home-visiting staff the opportunity to be on hand two days a week at MPHC’s Balsz Pediatric Clinic to recruit income-eligible families in need of outreach, resources, and referrals. Providing a patient-centered medical home with evening and weekend hours, MPHC also hosts community events and health literacy initiatives that complement Head Start’s delivery of wraparound health and social services.

• 98% preschoolers with health insurance

• 98% preschoolers with medical home

• 95% preschoolers with all possible immunizations/exempt

• 100% infants/toddlers with health insurance

• 100% infants/toddlers with medical home

• 94% infants/toddlers with all possible immunizations

SUPPORTED BY CONSTRUCT™ SOFTWARE, Southwest Human Development Head Start leads the way in coaching and active supervision for Environmental Health & Safety. Even prior to the pandemic, advanced strategies and the latest sanitizing equipment were in place to protect staff, teachers, children, and families. The return to in-person training in 2022-23 gave coaches and instructors the opportunity for personalized interactions and a deeper dive into topics at the forefront of individual and public health. With the expansion of Employee Onboarding from four days to three weeks, health content managers can facilitate group discussion of key takeaways and more effectively address differences in learning styles.

Every teacher at Southwest Human Development Head Start receives ongoing support for Environmental Health & Safety, inclusive of active supervision—at least bi-monthly for new employees and monthly for experienced staff. To ensure the highest quality in disease prevention and hygiene strategies, coaches confirm compliance with state licensing requirements and take advantage of opportunities for on-the-spot guidance and immediate feedback. One of the most crucial classroom environment protections occurs at drop-off time when teachers complete the daily health check and make informed decisions about symptoms and exposure risk. Throughout the day, teachers continue to monitor prescribed handwashing for children and staff, meal-time hygiene, and the appearance of symptoms that might require the caregiver to take a child home.

“When I stepped into the role of professional development coaching, I brought along the experience I gained in six years of classroom teaching and a year of working as a Family Support Specialist. As an Environmental Health & Safety coach, I am constantly striving to provide quality coaching and guidance that support our teachers in delivering high-quality services to the families we serve.

CRISIS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE often require specialized training, resources, and safety measures. All three steps were taken in 2022-23 as part of our new active shooter prevention initiative. Current staff completed a two-hour training program with presentations on various scenarios and response strategies for each. In partnership with local law enforcement, Southwest Human Development Head Start provided classroom layouts, blueprints, and other structural details needed to formulate effective plans. In turn, officers committed to an immediate response and a three-minute arrival. During that crucial window of time, all classrooms would be in active shooter lockdown—a step that is not practiced with the children but thoroughly reviewed with teachers and staff.

Classrooms are now secured by lock bars that keep doors from opening to the inside and safety hinge sleeves that can withstand up to 550 pounds of external force. Calming kits are available in every classroom, providing essentials like soft toys for tactile comfort, lollypops to quiet very small children, and a flashlight for children who are afraid of the dark and might cry. Plans with law enforcement also include designated meeting points where parents and children can reunite in the case of facility evacuation.

LEADERSHIP in HEALTH,

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON BRUSHING, flossing, eating healthy foods, and regular dental care have always been a Head Start imperative. Unfortunately, many parents grew up without oral health experiences, which creates obstacles from generational patterns to fears about visiting the dentist. Impressing the importance of oral care and the impact of gum disease or tooth decay on a child’s overall health can be challenging. To further family education and establish a “dental home” with ongoing access to oral care, Southwest Human Development Head Start works closely with community partners including Arcadia Pediatric Dental. Professional dental screenings at each Head Start/EHS site provide a baseline for preventative care and treatment. For families who lack dental coverage or fail to qualify for assistance, the program covers the cost of care.

94% dental home