Health Services

Poverty, frequent mobility, low literacy, language, cultural and logistic barriers impede migrant children and their families access to social services and cost effective primary health care. Migrant students suffer from a disproportionate number of health problems because they are uninsured, underinsured and/or have their needs unidentified and unmet. Due to these factors migrant students and their families are less likely to access the varying services provided in different communities, and often need assistance in identifying local resources and accessing them.

Supplemental health and social services are provided through our program to identified migrant students.

The mission of this component of the Migrant Education Program is:

• Collaborate with resources in the community to secure the health and well being of migrant students.
• Facilitate locating and securing services for families within their community.
• Provide information to prevent and assist with health related issues.
• Promote and advocate for parent self-sufficiency.
• Empower migrant families we serve to utilize available health, social, legal, and educational resources.

Our goal is that all migrant children attend school regularly and achieve their academic potential unhindered by health issues. The program serves migrant children in San Joaquin County and Contra Costa County.

Eric Rodriguez, Catalina Mendoza, Hector Calderon and Carmen Solis the Health and Social Service Facilitators provide an array of services including but not limited to:

Facilitate health and supportive services for migrant students Assessment, access, advocacy and assistance in applying for Health Programs “Case management” of health referrals and support services Centralize health data collection Promote parent/child education on health-related issues. Referrals for physician care, dental services, pharmacy, vision needs, and limited emergency services

Dr. Frederick Stellhorn, O.D. attended Jesus Rodriguez, who received a vision exam and glasses through a Vision Service Plan Gift Certificate.

Health facilitators continuously receive current and updated trainings in areas of Nutrition, Diabetes, WIC and health care programs. Health facilitators are trained in areas such as: Domestic Violence, California Health and Disability Program CHDP Gateway, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, West Nile disease and many others.

Health facilitators participate in health fairs at schools and with other community agencies. They also provide workshops and presentations regarding health and nutrition issues for migrant parents and children. Their principle responsibility is to link families to low cost or free medical/dental health services and social service agencies.

Olivia Ortiz, the regional manager for the Health and Support Service component, oversees the program and coordinates referral services with medical and dental providers; negotiates fees for health services; provides staff development and training to the health facilitators; maintains collaborative relationships with local community and state social service agencies and coordinates and participates in health fairs within the communities.

Additionally the goal of our program is to increase access to health resources and bring community members together with health providers, to bring awareness to the needs of migrant students and their families.

Migrant Education's Health and Social Service component collaborates with a variety of health and human service agencies in throughout San Joaquin County: Community Medical Centers, San Joaquin Valley Dental, Tracy Family Dental, Eye Care Associates, Health Plan of San Joaquin, San Joaquin Public Health, Catholic Charities, and Charterhouse Center for Families. These are only a few of the many, many doctors, dentists and other health care professionals who have extended their services to our migrant children.

With our collaborative efforts we are able to accomplish our mission and to help our migrant students succeed academically. Research shows a correlation between positive health behaviors and increased student achievement. Consequently, we strive to continuously create these positive health behaviors through the many components of Migrant Education.