© 2000 Alan Pogue Models of Collaboration: Fostering partnerships between Migrant Education & Migrant Health NCFH 20121

© 2000 Alan Pogue

Models of Collaboration:Fostering partnerships between

Migrant Education & Migrant Health

NCFH 2012 1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The health services assessment project was done by the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH) at the request of the National Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) Center.

Primary aim: Foster collaboration between Migrant Education programs and Migrant Health clinics & programs in order to better serve migrant students who are identified as Out-of-School Youth (OSY).

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. Objective #1: Review state Migrant Education Program (MEP) documents to determine how MEPs are assessing and meeting the health needs of OSY

2. Objective #2: Identifycurrent collaborations between Migrant Education programs and Migrant Health clinics and programs.

3. Objective #3: Identify challenges to collaborating and recommend strategies for building successful collaborations.

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OBJECTIVE #1

Review State Migrant Education documents including:• Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA)• Service Delivery Plan (SDP)

All documents were reviewed for:a) References to “out of school youth” and “OSY”b) References to “health”, “nutrition”, “dental”, or “vision” and other health-related terms.

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OBJECTIVE #1 FINDINGS

State MEP documents:• 49 documents (26 CNAs and 23 SDPs) were located,

from 19 states

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OBJECTIVE #1 FINDINGS, CONT.

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• 29 of the documents referenced OSY• 11 of the documents referenced the health needs of or

health services provided to OSY• References ranged from very brief to comprehensive

documentation of needs and services


References ranged from a brief mention of OSY to more comprehensive statements, goals, and objectives.

15 of the references to OSY were brief.

Example of a brief statement:

“Provide alternative programs for migrant secondary students and out-of-school youth including partnerships with local businesses”. (p.14)

Nebraska Department of Education Migrant Education Program. (2009). Nebraska Migrant Education Service Delivery Plan.

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14 of the references to OSY were more comprehensive.

Example of a more comprehensive reference:

“Likewise, the needs of OSY are challenging: OSY are likely to live away from parents and many are parents themselves; most have health needs that interfere with participating in school (i.e., medical, dental, vision, nutrition)…and keeping them engaged is perhaps the most difficult work in migrant education.” (p.38)

Kansas State Department of Education. (2011). Revised report: Kansas Comprehensive Needs Assessment Initiative.

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OBJECTIVE #2

Solicit information about current collaborations between Migrant Education programs (MEP)and Migrant Health (MH) clinics and programs.

• Inquiry form A one page form was developed and approved for dissemination by the National PASS Center The form was sent to Migrant Health clinics, MH coordinators, and migrant voucher programs

nationwide Solicited information about how MH centers work with MEPs in their area

• Phone interviews Explored topics on collaboration with representatives from MH and MEP, including:

1) the purpose of the collaboration2) who is involved3) how they collaborate4) Timing of services5) where they received funding from6) suggestions for improvement

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OBJECTIVE #2 FINDINGS

• Inquiry Form21 responses received from Community and Migrant Health Centers, MH Coordinators, MH programs, private practices and MEPs

• Phone Interviews13 interviews with Migrant Health clinics and programs; 1 with a MEP

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OBJECTIVE 2 FINDINGS, CONT.

Primary areas of collaboration: (based on interviews with all agencies)

1. Mutual referrals and shared outreach, with respect to confidentiality. Includes sharing outreach staff, letting partners know about new/previously unknown migrant camp locations, etc.

2. Medical and health servicesProvision of health services, such as immunizations, physicals, and medical referrals to migrant education students and their families.

3. Dental servicesProvision of dental services, such as exams, cleanings, and sealants to migrant education students.4. Health education/Patient navigation informationProvision of health and medical information by outreach & eligibility staff, medical assistants, and other health care providers to parents of migrant education students.5. Advisory board participationA Migrant Health staff member may serve on a board for a Migrant Education Program and vice-versa.

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OBJECTIVE #2 FINDINGS:MODELS OF COLLABORATION

Based on the phone interviews, 6 well-developed models of collaboration were identified.

The models include:1. Ampla Health (Yuba City, CA)2. Georgia Farm Worker Health Program: Ellenton Clinic

(Ellenton, GA)3. Community Health Partnership of Illinois (Chicago, IL)4. Finger Lakes Community Health (Penn Yan, NY)5. Keystone Health (Chambersburg, PA)6. Migrant Education Health Program (Chelan, WA)

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AMPLA HEALTH

Yuba City, California

Primary modes of collaboration:

• Contracted by MEP/MHS to provide physicals to children in MEP and Migrant Head Start (MHS). MEP and MHS provided space for providing physicals.

• Contracted to provide immunizations to all children in migrant early head start, MHS, and K-12 programs in space provided by MEP and MHS.

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AMPLA HEALTH, CONT.

• Parent education provided during parent nights by a bilingual eligibility worker, including health education and patient navigation. Facilitated by MEP staff.

• Referrals provided for migrant families in need of medical attention to Migrant Health Centers by Migrant Education staff.

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GEORGIA FARM WORKER HEALTH PROGRAM: ELLENTON CLINIC

Ellenton, Georgia


• Health assessments provided to migrant children aged 3-21, including developmental and mental health screenings in the native language in space provided by MEP.

• Physicals and vision & hearing screening provided during summer school in space provided by MEP.

• Dental exams and sealants to migrant students in the clinic, with transportation and interpreting as needed by MEP.

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GEORGIA FARM WORKER HEALTH PROGRAM, CONT.

• Health education to parents of migrant students at Parent Advisory Council meetings facilitated by MEP staff.

• Health care services to youth enrolled in College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and High school Equivalency Program (HEP), with space provided by MEP.

• Coordination for specialty care with area universities.

• Mutual outreach with Migrant Education staff.

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COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP OF ILLINOIS

Chicago, Illinois


• Dental services (including exams, cleanings, sealants) provided at schools for migrant students and Migrant Head Start (MHS). Necessary treatments provided at a CHP clinic or with a private provider if student is outside the service area, with transportation and interpreting provided as needed by MEP.

• Physicals & health screenings for MEP and MHS children, with MEP staff helping to facilitate the process and provide the necessary space.

• Parent workshops on adolescent health at MEP schools; funded through State Department of Education.NCFH 2012 17

COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP OF ILLINOIS, CONT.

• Teacher trainings conducted on relevant health topics at a statewide annual MEP workshop, which is facilitated by Migrant Education and funded through the State Department of Education.

• Worksite evening clinics provided seasonally for OSY; special OSY outreach also conducted during summer season with assistance from MEP staff.

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FINGER LAKES COMMUNITY HEALTH

Penn Yan, New York


• Shared staff with MEP, including a promotora, a counselor, and a case manager.

• Shared resources, including some shared staffing costs and voucher program costs.

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FINGER LAKES COMMUNITY HEALTH, CONT.

• Shared vouchers- Finger Lakes utilizes their own voucher program to cover costs for MEP students while MEP staff provide transportation and interpreting services for their students.

• Shared information- mutual referrals and outreach (with respect to each program’s confidentiality requirements), along with frequent communication helps identify new communities needing services.

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KEYSTONE HEALTH

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania


• Health and sports physicals to MEP students in multiple counties with space provided by MEP.

• Health screenings, including STDs, HIV testing, BP, glucose, etc. for migrant parents in 8 counties with screening facilitation and space provided by MEP.

• Immunizations provided in conjunction with health screenings at parent nights, with space provided by MEP.

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KEYSTONE HEALTH, CONT.

• HIV health education & HIV testing for migrant and seasonal parents and adolescents at schools, which is facilitated by MEP.

• Referrals to Keystone are provided to migrant families in need of health care by MEP staff; linkage to previously unknown migrant communities has also been provided by MEP staff.

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MIGRANT EDUCATION HEALTH PROGRAM (MEHP)

Chelan, Washington(State-wide Migrant Education Program)


• Physicals for all MEP students through contracted providers (C/MHCs and private providers).

• Mobile medical and dental unit brought to schools with MEP students by the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic.

• Mobile dental unit taken to other sites for MEP students by the WA Dental Association.

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MIGRANT EDUCATION HEALTH PROGRAM (MEHP), CONT.

• Medical expenses not covered by voucher programs or insurance are paid for by the MEHP.

• Coordination for specialty care is also provided to MEP students by the MEHP.

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MAP OF INTERVIEWED AGENCIES

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OBJECTIVE #3

Identify challenges to collaborating and recommend strategies for building successful collaborations.

Based on findings from inquiry form responses and telephone interviews

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CHALLENGES TO COLLABORATION

Based on phone interviews, four main obstacles to building thriving collaborations were identified:

1. Limited financial resources2. Declining migrant populations3. Staff turnover4. Lack of time

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RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES

1. Foster networking opportunities for Migrant Education and Migrant Health staff.

A common theme among interview responses was that collaborations would never have begun without opportunities for MEP and MH staff to interact and share ideas.

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RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES, CONT.

2. Build strong relationships on an individual level.

All of the models of collaboration were constructed from the conversations of colleagues.

Positive inter-agency relationships help create a positive environment conducive to collaboration.

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3. Understand where the other agency is coming from.

A knowledge of the policy requirements, restrictions, etc. of each agency will help to mitigate any misunderstandings that may arise and help to identify areas of strength and of need.

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4. Take the time to initiate the conversation at the local, regional, and state levels.

It is essential to ensure that each Community/Migrant Health Center and Migrant Education program is taking the initiative to discuss how to work together to better serve migrant children and their families.

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5. Create clear goals and objectives.

Few CNAs or SDPs had SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) objectives relating to Out-of-School Youth.

Here’s an example from the CNA of the Georgia Department of Education:

“The Georgia Migrant Education Program will add to the current number of educational and/or healthcare opportunities for migrant OSY by identifying or

developing five additional new opportunities over the next three years.” (p. 24)

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6. Simplify the collaborative process.

Everyone involved in the collaborative process can make life easier for everyone else by dividing up tasks and keeping paperwork and administrative tasks to a minimum. This also helps avoid duplication of work.

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7. Seek local funding opportunities to fuel elements of the collaboration.

Many of the models of collaboration utilized small, local grants to fund pieces of their partnerships.

For example, the Community Health Partnership of Illinois secured a grant for providing dental sealants from the local health dept. This did not cover all the dental services, but it enhanced the services available.

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8. Compile a brief guide on existing resources.

• Migrant Education Programs can help Migrant Health programs and centers by maintaining an updated directory of available educational programs in the area for migrant families.

• Migrant Health Centers can assist MEPs by maintaining updated information on insurance and voucher programs, as well as a directory of Community and Migrant Health Centers in the area.

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National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc.1770 FM 967

Buda, TX 78610 www.ncfh.org

THANK YOU!

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Documents

© 2000 Alan Pogue Models of Collaboration: Fostering partnerships between Migrant Education & Migrant Health NCFH 20121