The Head to Toe preconference provides a unique opportunity for individuals to learn new skills and reinforce existing ones. This year, we have developed a half-day "mini-conference" specifically for school-based health center primary care and behavioral health providers, as well as coordinators. Attendees can also expand their conference experience by attending an in-depth full or half-day session on learning to implement motivational interviewing, addressing fetal alcohol syndrome or exploring the concept of community schools.  With such an array of topics offered, pre-conference attendees are sure to walk away better equipped to fulfill their mission of improving students’ physical and emotional health. 

Click on the topic to learn more about the preconference offerings:

• Morning Mini-Conference: Designed for SBHC Coordinators & Clinical Staff
• Full-Day Focus:  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Afternoon Learning Lab #1:  Motivational Interviewing for School Nurses
• Afternoon Learning Lab #2:  Full Service Community Schools

• Afternoon Learning Lab #3:  Clinical Overview of Behavioral Health Interventions

A small registration fee ($35) gives you access to these great trainings, free parking, snacks and continuing education for nurses, counselors, social workers and behavioral health professionals. CMEs are available through Envision NM for Morning Mini-Conference Clinical Sessions, as well as Learning Labs #1 and #3.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Morning Mini-Conference: For SBHC Coordinators and Clinical Staff

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

NOTE: Sessions in RED are targeted to SBHC Coordinators, in BLUE are for clinical staff and in GREEN are for SBHC coordinators and clinical staff .

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

8:30 – 10:00 am  

What's Right With You is More Powerful Than What's Wrong With You

Presenter:  Paula Duncan, MD, Pediatrician, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Health and mental health professionals are educated to identify and intervene with youth about their unhealthy risk behaviors, related to poor nutrition, inadequate physical activity, unsafe sexual behaviors, substance abuse, intentional and unintentional injury. This presentation focuses on providing strategies to approach these risk behaviors from a strength-based perspective. These methods, part of the new preventive services guidelines, provide professionals with an innovative approach to youth growing up in difficult situations. It helps youth and their parents or guardians build on their positive attributes as they try to make health behavior changes.

10:15 - 11:15 am  BREAKOUT SESSIONS (Choose One)

• A. Understanding SBHC productivity: it is more than the numbers! [SBHC COORDINATOR]
  Presenters: Yolanda Cordova, Director, NM Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health; Linda Juszczak, Executive Director, National Assembly on School-based Health Care; Nissa Patterson, MPH, Program Manager, New Mexico Alliance for School-based Health Care
  
  As the school-based health center movement grows across New Mexico and as our centers refine services and improve practices it is important that SBHCs examine their clinic level productivity.  While many centers are concerned that productivity is “all about the numbers”, it is really so much more. In fact, increasing your productivity is a way to deeply understand your clinical practice, increase access to services, maximize billing revenue and make a difference in the health status of school aged children. This presentation reviews the basics of productivity, tools for analyzing your clinic’s productivity and a case study of how a productivity analysis helped the Elev8 SBHCs improve their practice.
  
  
• B. Health Promotion & Health Education: Teachable Moments, the Power of Anticipatory Guidance [CLINICAL STAFF]
  Presenters: Paula Duncan, MD, Pediatrician, University of Vermont College of Medicine; Therese Hidalgo, Carmen Martinez-Tittman, LPCC, LMSW, Quality Improvement Consultant, Envision New Mexico
  
  

  As clinicians we only have 15-30 minutes for a preventive services interaction with young people, what are the most important prevention topics we can discuss and how can we do it most effectively?  This session includes a presentation of the six most important evidence informed priorities from the new preventive services guidelines Bright Futures. Designed to complement and deepen the concepts from the keynote presentation, this session will provide participants with an opportunity to practice these interactions and improve their prevention work with students.   

   

• C. Sports Medicine: Common Injuries and Conditions [CLINICAL STAFF]
  Presenters: Christopher McGrew, MD, UNM Health Sciences Center; Rodolfo Roman Navarro, MD, Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellow, University of New Mexico
  
  How would you examine and treat an injured ankle, knee or elbow?  What about a neck injury?  SBHCs are available to provide assistance and the initial evaluation of injuries at schools. This presentation covers the general orthopedic exam and evaluation of common sports injuries and provides an opportunity to observe and practice some of the orthopedic maneuvers for the physical exam.

• D. The Evaluation of Management of the Child with Elevated Blood Pressure [CLINICAL STAFF]
  Presenter: John Brandt, MD, Chief of Pediatric Nephrology, UNM School of Medicine
  
  This session reviews the most recent literature on the identification, evaluation and management of elevated blood pressure in children.  In particular it will focus on the growing prevalence of primary hypertension and its association with obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

11:20 – 12:20 pm BREAKOUT SESSIONS (Choose One)

• E. Supporting and Strengthening Student Health Through School Health Advisory Councils [SBHC COORDINATOR]
  Presenters:  Chenoa Bah Stilwell-Jensen, MS, Community Outreach Coordinator, Envision New Mexico; Susan Rice, Silver Consolidated Schools Health and Safety Coordinator, School Health Advisory Council Chair
              

The session focuses on the successes and lessons learned through pro-active efforts of

school health advisory councils (SHAC) in NM.  Learn about key tips to overcome challenges

when developing a SHAC while exploring and highlighting how a SHAC can support and

empower student, staff, community and school wellness.

• F. Accessing and Utilizing School-Based Health Center Data [SBHC COORDINATOR]
  Presenters:  Michelle Bloodworth, PhD, Evaluator, Apex Education; Beth Hamilton-Ignacio, Director, Cuba Schools Wellness Center; Carlos Romero, President, Apex Education
  
  The utilization of quality SBHC data can inform program improvement and service delivery at the local level and aid in advocacy efforts at all levels. The workshop covers the many ways SBHC data can be of use at the local, state and national levels, but will focus on data use at the local level. Learn first-hand from a SBHC director as she describes her experiences with data use, including using SBHC data to advocate with the local school board regarding the importance of the SBHC. You will receive numerous examples of the types of data that can be useful to SBHC staff and learn how to access reports that provide this data.

• G. Cardiac Evaluation and Common Pediatric Murmurs [CLINICAL STAFF]

Presenter:  Beth Goens, MD, Interim Chief of Pediatric Cardiology, University of New Mexico

 

This session takes the mystery out of the scariest part of the health assessment.  Many people are uncomfortable with the cardiac evaluation because of the rare but serious consequences of unrecognized cardiac disease. In this workshop, the true risks to children from cardiac problems are reviewed. The most important elements of the history and physical examination are clarified.   Case examples are used to illustrate important details of the cardiac evaluation.  The audience is encouraged to share cases for discussion.

• H. More than Just a Tummy Ache: Collaborative Primary Care and Behavioral Health Approaches [CLINICAL STAFF]
  Presenters:  Anna Nelson, MSW, LISW, Behavioral Health Program Manager, NM Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health;  Mary Ramos, MD, School Health Officer, NM Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health/UNM Envision; Dan Rifkin, MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Envision New Mexico, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UNM School of Medicine

Is a stomachache or headache a warning sign of something else? This dynamic workshop, led by prominent professionals in the field of school behavioral health and primary care, will answer this important question. Participants will gain heightened awareness of co-morbid conditions and common psychosomatic complaints related to student behavioral health. They will also leave with a better understanding of how to use clinical tools and strategies for increasing collaborative care in their clinic or school setting. Interactive case discussion is welcomed.

12:25 – 1:15 pm  SBHC Poster Presentation Lunch

SBHC staff are invited and encouraged to bring a poster or storyboard highlighting your SBHC activities. This is a great opportunity to showcase your SBHC and school community, and network with other SBHCs throughout the state. Lunch will be provided courtesy of Envision NM.

Thank you to Envision New Mexico for sponsoring Dr. Paula Duncan's participation

at the Head to Toe conference.  Learn more about Envision NM.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Full-Day Focus: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

AGENDA/SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

8:30 – 9:30 am

Working with Schools to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Presenter: Jerome Romero, BA, Director, New Mexico State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Program, University of New Mexico Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is 100% preventable, and although it is preventable, this birth defect is one of the top two causes of mental retardation in the United States. In New Mexico we need to do more to educate everyone on the hazards of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. This message needs to start at a young age and what better place to educate than in our schools. No mom should have to tell their son or daughter that the reason they are struggling in life is because they drank alcohol while they were pregnant. You will leave this session with a solid knowledge about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a variety of various tools and resources and a strategy for their school to include information about FAS.

9:30 – 11:30 am

Toward a Shared Understanding

Presenters: Wendy Kalberg, MA, CED, Educational Diagnostician, University of New Mexico; Kathleen “Mo” Taylor, OTR-L, Occupational Therapist, The UNM Center on Development and Disability

This session outlines the physical, developmental, and behavioral characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and provides an overview of the research that has been done to investigate the neuro-behavioral characteristics associated with children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or who have a full-blown diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Explore a practical real-life model which bridges what is known from research about behavior and real-life functioning of children with FASD to appropriate school, home and community interventions.  This workshop will be presented by two professionals who have worked in the field of Autism intervention for the past twenty years.  The lead presenter is also an adoptive parent of a child with FASD, thereby bringing a professional as well as a personal perspective to the goal of better interventions for children affected with FASD.

11:30 – 1:00 pm

Lunch (On Own) 
Pick up a map and listing of restaurants within walking distance of the convention center at the registration desk.

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Mainstream Populations

Presenter:  Philip May, PhD, Professor of Sociology and Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico

This presentation summarizes data on the prevalence and characteristics of FASD collected by various research methods. It will then highlight the prevalence and characteristics of FASD as evidenced from in-school studies of general populations. FASD may affect as many as 2 to 5 per cent of all children of the general population of the United States and other developed nations of Europe.

2:15 – 3:30 pm 

FAS activities for the Classroom and the Teen Peer Education Program

Presenters: Sally Kosnick, Executive Director, New Mexico GRADS ; Jerome Romero, BA, Director, New Mexico State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Program, University of New Mexico Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Wrap Up/Certificate Distribution

Thank you to the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Program for sponsoring this session.

Learn more about the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Program.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Afternoon Learning Lab #1: Motivational Interviewing for School Nurses

1:30 – 4:30 pm

Motivational Interviewing Skills and Strategies for School Nurses   (LIMITED TO 25 PEOPLE)

Presenter:  Carmen Martinez-Tittmann, LPCC, LMSW, Quality Improvement Consultant, Envision New Mexico

School nurses are often the front line health care provider faced with complex behavioral health issues that they feel less than equipped to address. This workshop explores the dynamic and evidence-based communication style known as motivational interviewing, and how school nurses can integrate the skills and tools of MI into their practice with students in schools. Participants will practice some fundamental motivational interviewing skills and strategies, and come away with a few tools and increased confidence in their school setting.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Afternoon Learning Lab #2: Full Service Community Schools

1:30 – 4:30 pm

Full Service Community Schools: Join the Discussion, Create the Movement

Presenter:  Jane Quinn, Assistant Executive Director for Community Schools, Children's Aid Society

This session explores how a full service community school combines the best educational and youth development practices with vital in-house health, extended learning and family support services to assure young people are prepared to learn and succeed. The session will describe how full service community schools engage family, community providers, educators, local and national leaders in changing policies, practices and processes to improve the learning environment for our most challenged students. By integrating school, family and community supports the whole needs of students can be addressed. This model has shown significant health and educational outcomes in other communities. The full service community school model exists in some locations in New Mexico. Come be a part of the movement to expand this model statewide.

Thank you to Elev8 for sponsoring this presentation.

  Learn more about Elev8.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Afternoon Learning Lab #3: Clinical Overview for

SBHC Behavioral Health Interventions

1:30 – 4:30 pm

Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care: Strategies for the Busy SBHC Provider

Part I:  Short Term Strengths-Based Interventions for Adolescents

Presenters:  Kristine Carrillo, LISW, Program Operations Director, Envision NM, UNM Pediatrics Department; Leslie Kelly, MA, LPCC, Statewide Behavioral Health Telehealth Coordinator, UNM Center for Rural and Community Behavioral Health; Anna Nelson, MSW, LISW, Behavioral Health Program Manager, NM Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health

Whether you are a PCP or behavioral health provider, it is common that as providers we only get one chance to see a student. We’ll provide an overview of common depression or anxiety symptoms that students bring to SBHCs, and provide some practical skills you can use with a student for self-management of depression or anxiety symptoms.    

Part 2: Psychiatric Consultation *Live* for New Mexico SBHC Providers 

Presenters: Dan Rifkin, MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Envision New Mexico, Assistant Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, UNM School of Medicine; Therese Hidalgo, CFNP, NM Department of Health, Office of School and Adolescent Health

This interactive session is an opportunity for primary care and behavioral health providers to engage in the consultation process, along with their peers, to enhance behavioral health services they provide in school-based health centers (SBHCs).  Psychiatric consultation improves the quality of behavioral health services delivered by primary care and mental health providers in SBHCs. Providers are invited to present case vignettes to the psychiatrist, involving students seen in their school clinics, for consultation about assessment (including suicidality, other harmfulness, and substance abuse), treatment plans (including crisis intervention and safety planning), systems-of-care dilemmas (including resources/referrals), consent & confidentiality issues, and other clinical matters relevant to their SBHC practice.

The Head to Toe Conference seeks to present a wide variety of topics, issues and exhibits.  The information, comments and opinions expressed by the speakers and exhibitors do not necessarily represent the views of the event sponsors.  The sponsoring organizations neither endorse nor assume responsibility for the concepts expressed during these programs.