Description: The Community School framework creates unique opportunities for the delivery of comprehensive wrap-around services and supports for children, youth and their families in rural communities. This webinar will focus on the overall approach of a community schools framework and will show how two sites are utilizing this approach to improve the behavioral health of young people and their families. The Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in Upstate New York is a graduated Safe Schools/Health Student (SS/HS) grantee that has sustained and expanded the community school framework through the PROMISE ZONE initiative. The West Virginia, Project AWARE State has advanced community schools by building upon strong state and local partnerships that have supported expansion of their community schools initiative. West Virginia’s community schools partnership aim to strengthen students, families and communities and enhance school mental health services and supports.
Objectives: Participants will:
• Learn about the key elements of a Community School framework;
• Learn how effective partnerships and collaborations have been aligned in support of the Community School model at a state and local level;
• Learn about the impact of community school initiatives in West Virginia and in Broome County NY; and,
• Become familiar with selected strategies used to advance this work including some of the challenges encountered and the lessons learned that have contributed to improved outcomes for young people, their families and communities.
Luann Kida, MA, LMSW, Community Schools Director, Broome County Promise Zone
Colleen Cunningham Rozelle LMSW, Community School Coordinator, Broome County Promise Zone
John Kennedy, YMHFA Coordinator Project AWARE/Community Schools Coordinator
Ingrida Barker, Ed. S., McDowell County Schools, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education and Planning
Karen B. Francis, Ph.D., Principal Researcher, American Institutes for Research (AIR)