Addressing the needs of the hundreds of thousands of New Mexico children who have been left to fend for themselves academically, emotionally and developmentally during COVID-19
ADDRESSING PHYSICAL & SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF NEW MEXICO’S AT-RISK CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
ADDRESSING PHYSICAL & SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF NEW MEXICO’S AT-RISK CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
new mexico's at-risk children need:
healthcare access
food & nutrition
joy & connection
1, 2, 3 Eyes on Me is a collaborative, community-driven intervention to address the hundreds of thousands of New Mexico children who have been left to fend for themselves during COVID-19. New Mexico’s at-risk children are facing mounting food insecurity, have lost access to physical and mental healthcare, as well as the basic human need of joy and connection.
1, 2, 3 Eyes on Me provides the framework and support to local communities to create a responsive and tightly woven safety net for these children. This intervention also suggests a spectrum of COVID-19-safe virtual and in-person services and opportunities for New Mexico’s children that can quickly scale up or down while maintaining consistent support regardless of viral spread. While the focus on mitigating COVID-19 risks is critical, we must simultaneously account for the equally dangerous risks of food insecurity, heightened abuse, and mental and physical health struggles, and education loss. Join us! * Start-up grants are available! * Contact Daniel Valverde at New Mexico Appleseed dvalverde@nmappleseed.org or 505.814.1200
goal:
Bundle Healthcare Services with Feeding Sites
healthcare access Screenings & referrals Well-child checks Flu shots & immunizations Vision screenings Oral healthcare Support groups Mental health support Medicaid sign-ups
By ‘supersizing’ USDA school meal sites and food bank and pantry food box sites, families can get access to desperately needed mental, dental and physical healthcare that has been unavailable during the COVID-19 shutdown. School and community-based health centers can bring healthcare to feeding sites with the assistance of doctors, nurses, physician assistants, social workers and dental hygienists. Healthcare workers can provide services such as prescriptions and referrals, and medical care for wellness, injury, and illness.
goal:
Expand Access to Food
food & nutrition
Food boxes School-based food distribution SNAP & TANF sign-ups Unemployment benefit support
School districts across the state are utilizing a range of feeding programs to ensure children are practicing social distancing while still receiving healthy and nutritious meals. The most common model is a drive-through model where students and families pick up several days’ worth of meals at once as they drive through a school meal location. During school shutdowns, districts have leveraged federal meal programs to provide food at no cost to students. Schools can expand their meal sites to health clinics, where the healthcare services may be offered. This would simply mean that clinics move some of their screening and services outdoors and operate in a drive-through environment while meal pick up occurs.
goal:
Provide Access to Joy & Connection
joy & connection
Social media health challenges Athlete videos Book clubs Service opportunities Mentoring Tutoring & academic support Library book access Prizes & media mentions
This intervention doesn’t simply focus on the practical aspects of healthcare access or socialization—it aims to bring joy and connection to families during this difficult time. As we all know, social distancing has taken a toll on children’s mental health and physical health. While this intervention is largely limited to what can be done in person, we also recommend virtual initiatives that seek to raise the joy quotient in children’s lives. TikTok dance contests and virtual classes for things like crafting or singing are methods to bring this connection and joy. Student Ambassadorship High school students state-wide are becoming Appleseed Ambassadors to help spread joy and connection from the safety of their homes.
launch 1, 2, 3, in your community! The target population includes New Mexico school-age children and their guardians who may not be receiving the services and support they need to live, learn, and thrive during the shutdown from COVID-19. This intervention doesn’t require reinventing the wheel—communities already have many of these programs in place. Rather, this intervention encourages the consolidation and expansion of programs that might already be in place (for example, combining health and feeding programs). Bringing services to our at-risk communities versus expecting them to find the services, may result in higher levels of engagement with the systems meant to serve them.
who do you need on your team?
The process begins by bringing together local experts, decision-makers and community members to understand and identify what assets your community has and what you need. New Mexico Appleseed is prepared to help you through this process and find the missing pieces. Healthcare * A local health clinic and/or school-based health center * Nonprofit dentistry or dental clinics willing to provide pro bono services to Medicaid patients * A local mental health clinic and or a school counselor * Managed care organization representative
what are your goals?
Reach as many children as possible in your community! 123 Eyes on Me is a high-impact program that ensures at-risk children have access to critical services—such as mental, dental, and physical health care and food—at ONE site.
where?
* Existing feeding sites to bring services to a vulnerable population: USDA school meal sites, food pantries and food box sites. * School-based health centers and community clinics and hospitals. By moving feeding sites or adding treating sites to clinics and health centers, communities may be able to more easily deliver medical services and create connections with children and medical homes. Most districts offering school meals can easily move or create a new site to ensure that children can get fed and food pantries can bring food boxes. * School bus routes. Leveraging school bus routes to do double duty bringing food and screening for health needs is an easy way to connect children with the service that they need. Districts can send school nurses on buses to deliver flu shots and screen children while delivering USDA meals, food boxes and/or library books.
when?
* During regular school meal remote pick up: for schools staying in remote learning, communities can offer health services with the feeding sites during regular school meal pick up times, as long as they don’t interfere with school hours. * On weekends or after school: Perhaps the best way to get the most number of students and offer the most services is to offer weekend sites.
outreach?
leverage & expand existing services
Leverage existing resources such as school district text systems, television and radio in addition to social media. We envision a weekly text to the school text system with links to available community-based services. Start-up grants are available to support your local 1, 2, 3 launch! Contact Daniel Valverde at New Mexico Appleseed: dvalverde@nmappleseed.org
you can do this! (here's an example...)
team:
partners + volunteers
School, food bank, FQHC or school-based health center, health care providers (physical, dental, vision, mental), health insurance or Medicaid partner
goals: * * * * * *
Food box delivery Physical health care services, well-child checkups, flu shots and referrals Mental health care assessments and referrals Dental checkups and referrals Vision checkups and referrals Health insurance enrollment clinic
where:
Local school, community center, health clinic/hospital or park
when:
During the week at USDA school meal site pickups -OR- on the first Saturday of the month, between 8 am and noon 3
outreach:
School district text systems, television and radio in addition to social media
sample timeline
* 2 weeks out: Post on school website Post on school social media Distribute fliers Robo calls & text messages Email * 1 week out Post on school website Social media posts Distribute fliers Robo calls & text messages Email School marquee Press release to media * 48 hours before Social media posts Robo calls & text messages Email Press release to media * 24 hours before Social media posts Robo calls & text messages Email Direct phone calls
example: event at a school
all done! exit
#2 food box pickup
#1 entrance & needs assessment
#3 hearing
#4 dental #10 joy & connection (*optional)
#5 snap & tanf sign-ups
#9 support groups mental health medicaid sign-ups
#8 unemployment benefit support
#7 vision
#6 well-child checks flu shots & immunizations
the abc's of 1, 2, 3
SHOPPING LIST: Some things you might need PPE (gloves and masks) Tent(s) Walkie-talkies iPads, clipboards and pens (data collection tools) Fliers (include Joy & Connection partners and Ambassador details) Hand sanitizer and/or sani wipes Dental supplies Printed banners with referral information Traffic vests, traffic cones, traffic flags Parking lot signage for waiting areas CREATE A TIMELINE (what needs to be done both before, during and after your event?) 2 weeks out 1 week out 48 hours before 24 hours before Day-of Follow-up COMMUNICATIONS (how will you let your community know this event is taking place?) Robo calls Text messaging Direct phone calls Email campaign Fliers for students -and- parents (in English and Spanish) Fliers for feeder schools Social media posts School website School and community marquees Press release to local media VOLUNTEER TRAINING (reach out to your community for help - the earlier, the better!) Determine the time commitment and key details to share with your team Reach out to Spanish speaking volunteers
gating criteria: Implementing a color-coded system – red, orange and
green will help school districts and communities pivot based on the prevalence of COVID-19 within each county. Not reflected in this table are hyper-rural children who need a separate intervention to get them food and healthcare. Academic support and physical activities and joy can be addressed with a virtual intervention.
proposed structure:
healthcare access
food & nutrition
joy & connection
substantial community transmission
heightened community transmission
minimal community transmission
· screening & referral to medical home · immunizations (possible vehicle for covid-19 vaccine) · virtual support groups · mental health apps
· screening & referral to medical home · immunizations (possible vehicle for covid-19 vaccine) · oral healthcare giveaways · virtual support groups · mental health apps
· health fair model · screening and referral to medical home · in person well-child checks · immunizations · vision screening · oral healthcare & oral healthcare giveaways
· food boxes · school-based food distribution · snap/tanf & unemployment help
· food boxes · school-based food distribution · snap/tanf & unemployment fliers
· food boxes · school-based food distribution · snap/tanf & unemployment help
· virtual mentoring · unm athlete instructive videos · tiktok dance challenges · service opportunities · weekly health challenges on instagram · tutors online/cell · library book access · academic support videos
· virtual mentoring · unm athlete instructive videos · tiktok dance challenges · service opportunities · weekly health challenges on instagram · tutors online/cell · library book access · academic support videos
· outdoor book clubs · in-person learning · tiktok dance challenges · in-person mentoring · small group games in person · outdoor & gym games · sport clinics · access to school grounds · on-site trained tutors · library book access
frequently asked questions q: who is spearheading this intervention?
While New Mexico Appleseed created the vision, it is supported by a massive collaborative effort across the state with partners ranging from New Mexico United to PMS clinics to NMSU and UNM to ABC Community Schools and Western Sky Community Care to New Mexico Alliance for School-based Health Care. It is this unique time where so many people are interested in helping, but do not have a vehicle to do so.
q: are there funds available to help implement this in my community?
Yes! Start-up grants are available to all New Mexico communities who want to implement 1, 2, 3 Eyes on Me in their community. Contact Daniel Valverde at New Mexico Appleseed: dvalverde@nmappleseed.org or 505.814.1200.
q: can community members launch 1, 2, 3 or does this need to be a coordinated effort with local governments and/or schools?
Anyone can do it! Launching sites requires knowledge of existing community programs and a willingness to coordinate efforts. School districts, nonprofits and local governments are encouraged to apply for our grants. Grants are available to help cover the start-up costs associated with creating sites, and one-on-one assistance from the Appleseed team is also available.
q: are there any pilot sites? can we replicate these pilot programs in my community? Yes!
Pecos: Partnering with Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS), we are planning to provide medical services to students attending existing USDA school meal grab and go sites. As families pick up food for the week, PMS is working on how to add a screener tool for mental, physical, and dental health. They are streamlining the process to screen, refer, and follow up to ensure that children are connected with a medical home and receive the services they need. Sites will focus on providing dental, mental health, immunizations, vaccinations, and primary care referrals together with multi-day food boxes. Pecos
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Schools has over 400 students and we plan to conduct a thorough social media and school district mobile outreach event to draw students that would otherwise not attend. Information will be collected in hopes of replicating the model throughout New Mexico. Partners include Presbyterian Medical Services, Pecos Independent School District, Pecos Valley Medical Center School Based Health Center, and the FoodDepot. Albuquerque: Our partners have identified schools such as Van Buren Middle School, Atrisco Heritage Academy High School, East San Jose Elementary, and Manzano High School to combine health centers and meal sites together. Each site will provide weekly meals and include screening for children and providing referrals if needed. Sites will include dental, mental health, and flu shots while preparing to become COVID-19 vaccination distribution sites when available. Partners include, Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico Alliance for School-based Health Care, ABC Community School Partnership, City of Bernalillo, UNM Health Sciences Center, City of Albuquerque, and UNM School Based-Health Centers.