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Establishing a School Health Coordinating Council
A. PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH COUNCIL
To raise awareness of the need for coordinated approaches to improving health and educational outcomes for children and to forge the links required to implement the goals of a comprehensive school health program, it is often necessary to form a school health council or "Healthy School Team." This council should include top leadership from all the professional groups with a stake in influencing the health and educational outcomes of children and youth.
The composition of a school health council is delineated by its purposes:
- To solicit input from professionals and lay members of the community whose knowledge and experience can contribute meaningful guidance in decisions affecting the school health program
- To represent the diverse interests, opinions, and values operating within the community, i.e., health, business, judiciary, religious, human services, media, and parental and student groups
- To provide advice and make recommendations to the school board
The council must establish a common goal-to meet the needs of the community's children and their families and to establish a school health council that supports all of the organizations' goals. This initiative coordinates existing services and, ideally, leads to true collaboration in which the design and delivery of service systems are changed most effectively to meet the needs of the whole child.
