About the Office of School and Adolescent Health

• 48 OSAH funded SBHCs provide quality, integrated, and culturally responsive health care delivered in a youth friendly setting to keep children and adolescents in school and ready to learn.
• OSAH funded SBHCs provide accessible services regardless of insurance status or ability to pay and in alignment with New Mexico statues for minor’s rights for receipt of health care services.
• OSAH funded SBHCs utilize a coordinated care model with school and health systems.
• Nearly 40% of visits to NM SBHCs are for behavioral health services; eliminating barriers to this important service.
• 88% of OSAH funded SBHCs are operated by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or large medical groups, linking students and families to medical homes and improving continuity of care.
• 18,319 students received 51,106 visits for primary care, behavioral health and oral health services during FY19.
• All OSAH supported SBHCs are in Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Contact: [email protected]

• NM School Health Manual - a vital web-based guidance manual to assist school health personnel in providing a coordinated school health program that receives 5,000 visits per year.
• The Annual School Health Services Report, a snapshot of health services provided by NM school nurses, is coordinated and maintained by OSAH. Statewide data is linked into the National Data Set allowing NM school health to be represented.
• We collaborate with public health regions and Regional Health Officers to provide statewide training and technical assistance for approximately 500 school nurses, 450 health assistants, and 1,000+ school counselors and social workers.
• The trained workforce provides school health services for 310,000+ students at 800 campuses, including provision of chronic disease management and coordination for 6,800+ students who require medically complex procedures for chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and complex seizure disorders.

Contact: [email protected]

An approach which facilitates a paradigm shift from viewing youth as future citizens to viewing them as today’s leaders with the capacity to effect change when given adequate support and opportunities. PYD Guiding Principals:

• Asset Based (focus on strengths)
• Place-Based (reflect local culture)
• Holistic (mind/body/spirit) & Developmentally Age Appropriate
• Informed by Youth (Youth Voice)
• Supports ALL children/youth
• Broad Stakeholder Input & Support (family, school, community, media, etc.)

NM Youth Peer to Peer Helper Program

• There are 40 Youth Peer-to-Peer Programs statewide.
• Adapted from the promising practice Natural Helper Program & evidence based PYD approach.
• Based on the premise that when young people have problems, they most often turn to trusted friends for help and that within every school a “helping network” already exists in various student subgroups.
• Young people are identified by peers and adults as “helpers” and receive training and support to recognize when a peer needs help, improve their communication, listening, and problem solving skills, become aware of when a situation is more serious and needs adult professional intervention.
• Each program plans and implements one service learning & one health promotion project.

Contact: [email protected]