Children's Hospital of New Jersey (CHNJ)

Children's Hospital of New Jersey (CHNJ) at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, started its School-Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) in 1997. The program was an outgrowth of the state's initiative of the same name to provide mental health, pregnancy prevention, job placement, and youth development services to school-aged children.

Rose Smith, MS, RNC, the Director of Clinical Community Services for the hospital, is responsible for the program's oversight. She states, "Children's Hospital developed a model that includes health and dental services for students in Newark, the largest school district in the state. Nearly 37 percent of Newark's children live in poverty. The School-Based Clinics help keep the children healthy and productive."

Through funding from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, CHNJ opened the first clinic at George Washington Carver Elementary School in 1998. Bruce Street School serves hearing-impaired and deaf students, who also obtain services at the Carver Clinic. The Foundation's continuing support and enlistment of other funders have allowed clinic expansion to four other schools: Dayton Street School, Quitman Street School, Malcolm X Shabazz High School, and Barringer High School. The program now serves children from Pre-K through grade 12.

Each clinic is physically located next to the office of the school nurse who initially sees the students and makes appropriate referrals to the clinic. Clinic staffing is designed to meet the clinical as well as social needs of the children. Almost all of the students have parental consent to be seen and treated. This arrangement has increased the level of trust among the school staff, parents, students, and the clinic's staff. Children also receive dental evaluation, fluoride applications, and sealants by a dentist at the clinics. "Children come to us with all of their social, medical, and dental problems," Ms. Smith said. "Parents send their children to the clinic, where the medical staff and a social worker determine children's needs, which can frequently be met without the students missing school. Students seek services when they are sick and also when they are well."

CHNJ introduced a mobile pediatric van and established practice sites in Newark, Elizabeth, and East Orange. Known as the New Jersey Children's Health Project, the mobile van resulted from a partnership of CHNJ, Schering-Plough Corporation, and the Children's Health Fund. Using the van, a pediatrician, a registered nurse, a medical technician, and a certified EMS driver provide outreach to children at homeless shelters, deliver educational information at health fairs and schools, and dispense food and clothing at the practice sites. In January 2004, the mobile van joined the SBYSP by providing services at the McKinley Street School during the morning hours, until construction of a permanent clinic.

The SBYSP could not have been successful without the support and cooperation of the Newark Board of Education. The clinics help address some of the myriad needs of the students, with a belief that healthy students will be better students. "As a resource to the school's health education program, we bring in physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, and assistants to teach children about health topics that have included obesity, nutrition, asthma, mental health, smoking cessation, anger management, diabetes, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, behavior modification, discipline, and ADHD. Student teens who are parents attend support classes started by the clinics, and the DYFS has made presentations to families regarding child protection issues and how to use the Division as a resource," Ms. Smith said. As the relationship grows, other schools are eager to establish clinics and have called for help with health educational plans.