Live Well San Diego

Environment Shapes Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstance.

Health disparities can lead to lost school days if students do not have proper immunizations, are sick more frequently or other environmental impacts on the health of children.

Live Well Schools works to achieve health equity by providing the tools, resources and research to support schools, families and communities through the following.

• Policy
• Partnerships
• Programs

For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resources.

There is increased recognition that ACEs are strongly associated with increased health and social risks. ACEs are stressful or traumatic events experienced by age 18, identified in the landmark Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. ACEs include abuse, neglect, and effects of an unsafe or unstable household environment.

Students come to school with varying levels of ACEs and are also directly impacted by adverse community environments. Early detection and early intervention can help prevent or reduce the physical, mental, and social health impact of ACEs.

The Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework shifts systems of care, communities, and policies to value and actively bolster positive childhood experiences. HOPE aims to bring the power of the positive into the lives of children and their families.

For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resources.

Schools can help address healthy equity, community and individual trauma through providing equitable opportunities, physical safety, and supporting safe and healthy behaviors that promote self-care. Chronic stress can have many negative effects on student behavior and academic performance.

In order to foster resiliency of the students, schools can implement a trauma-informed approach through the following.

• Screening, identification, and referral of appropriate services to students and family from behavioral health school staff or other school personnel
• Maintaining emotional safety of the students and provide supportive, compassionate responses to trauma histories and/or other adversities.
• Implementing restorative justice practices to address harms, needs, obligations, and causes of conflict and harm.
• Decreasing use of zero-tolerance policies in all grades
• Building and supporting self-regulation skills in the classroom like mindfulness, and meditation to increase social-emotional wellness.
• For additional information see: Trauma-Informed Care Code of Conduct

For more information on implementing trauma-informed approaches in the school environment, please see the following resources.

• Strategies for Trauma-Informed School Communities
• Trauma Sensitive Schools from SDCOE
• Learn about the Impact of Social-Emotional Learning

 For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resources.

Behavioral Health encompasses mental health and wellbeing through the treatment of mental and substance use disorders. Students with frequent feelings of internalized distress (e.g., sadness, anxiety, depression) show diminished academic functioning and those with externalized distress (e.g., anger, frustration, and fear) exhibit school difficulties including learning delays and poor achievement and acting out behavior.

HHSA-funded behavioral health treatment services are intended for children and adolescents who are either experiencing a behavioral health crisis (such as depression, suicidal thoughts, extreme anxiety, and substance use) or who require behavioral health services in order to function in school, at home or in the community. Generally, children’s treatment services are for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and low-income individuals up to age 21.

Key resources offered by the County of San Diego include the following.

• San Diego Access & Crisis Line: (888) 724-7240
• County of San Diego - Behavioral Health Resources
• Behavioral Health Resources at Schools

For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resource.

Mental health in childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones, learning healthy social skills, and building coping skills for when one faces challenges. Mentally healthy children are resilient and are prepared to function well at home, in school, and in their communities.

Mental health disorders among children impact the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which can result in distress and difficulties getting through the day.

For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resources.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

The five core competencies of Social & Emotional Learning are as follows:

Learn how to introduce SEL into the school climate and classroom on the CASEL website.

For additional resources check out the Tools for Schools Resources.

Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) has prioritized health and wellness as a key foundation for student success. Led by the board of education, the entire CVESD community including administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and students all contribute to a culture of health that has achieved measurable outcomes.

In 2010, CVESD measured the height and weight of over 25,000 students to get a first look at student health and has continued to do so on a biennial basis. The District, in partnership with the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), disaggregated its students’ BMI data by school, student grade level, and ethnicity to help communities and parents understand the impact of obesity on their neighborhoods and kids. The 2010 results showed the following:

• 22% of K-6 students were obese
• 18% of K-6 students were overweight

CVESD has continued to analyze data to inform the development and implementation of programs, initiatives, and assessments to further combat childhood obesity. Progress to date (2010-2018) shows CVESD had the following:

• From 2010 to 2018, there was a 7.7% decrease in the percentage of students in the obese category. This equates to approximately 330 fewer students in the obese BMI category for 2018.
• Additionally, there was a 2.9% increase in the percentage of students in the normal weight category from 2010 to 2018. This equates to approximately 600 more students in the normal weight category in 2018.

These gains are the direct result of CVESD’s innovative wellness initiatives and community partnerships.

Improving CVESD's Local School Wellness Policy

Results from an analysis using the WellSAT scoring tool show that CVESD’s wellness policy improved significantly in strength and comprehensiveness from 2012 to 2017. Scores are out of a possible 100 points.

District Scorecard and Overview

Development of the CVESD Site Wellness Leads Program

Through a partnership with HHSA, CVESD included in its wellness policy a requirement for school sites to designate a Site Wellness Lead. The Site Wellness Leads meet quarterly and lead wellness assessment and implementation efforts at their school sites.

CVESD Healthy Schools Program Assessment

In 2017, CVESD partnered with the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative and HHSA to conduct a district-wide assessment of wellness policy implementation. All schools were to complete an online assessment showing current status of wellness policy implementation. On-site observations were conducted at selected sites. Data analysis of the assessments, conducted by Harder & Company, provided key recommendations and showed the following:

• 34% of schools reported most or all fundraising efforts meet the USDA’s Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards.
• 61% of schools reported having a school site wellness committee or team.
• 98% of schools reported students receive physical activity breaks during class-time on at least some days of a typical week, but only
• 36% reported students receive these breaks on all days of the week.

Some of these immediate investments are centered around students exploring career interests that align with the sports and fitness sector at the Health Station located on the grounds of the Chula Vista Elite Athletic Training Center, and the implementation of a strategic plan for employee wellness that will revolutionize the way CVESD supports the well-being of their employees.

Click Here to view CVESD final height and weight surveillance report. 

Wellness Policy & Committee - Chula Vista Elementary School District (cvesd.org)