- DOH Releases New K-12 Guidance
- School Nurse Connect - Q&A added
- OSPI Rule Making Public Hearing: WAC 392-198 BBP Training
- Funding Opportunity for School Based Health Centers
The Department of Health released Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools, Child Care, Early Learning, Youth Development, and Day Camp Programs (wa.gov) which will be in effect starting March 12 to coincide with the lifting of general indoor masking requirements. This new guidance merges the Childcare, K-12 Schools Requirements and Supplemental Considerations into one document.
The current guidance is still in effect until March 12 and will be removed from the DOH website Friday, March 11 at the end of the day. Labor & Industries (L&I) is also expected to update their guidance for employers. Please see Coronavirus/COVID-19 Workplace Safety & Health (wa.gov) for more information regarding employer guidance.
Slides and meeting notes from the February meeting were sent out in the last update. Please find the Q&A linked below.
As a reminder, the School Nurse Connect with DOH is a webinar primarily for school nurses across WA state, but LHJ staff who work with schools and school nurses are welcome to attend. If you would like to join the next webinar, please register using the link below.
The next webinar is March 15th, 2022, 2:30-4PM. Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KT7E1LX9TGuZ_Kplboblfg
If you registered in October or later, you should already be registered for the series. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
February Materials:
OSPI will hold a public hearing for proposed changes to rules, also known as Washington Administrative Code (WAC). Changes to the following WAC chapters and/or sections are being considered: Chapter 392-198 WAC
The purpose of the hearing and comment period is to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the WAC/rule language. Please review the proposed changes before submitting comments or testifying.
For more information, please see:
Participating in the Public Hearing and Comment Period
Due to public health concerns caused by the COVID-19 virus, the public hearing will be held online, via Zoom. An in-person hearing (physical location) will not be available.
You can participate in the rules hearing and comment period via one or both options:
- Submitting written comments by March 23, 2022:
- Email: annie.hetzel@k12.wa.us (please include “Rules” in email subject line)
- Mail: OSPI, Attn: Annie Hetzel, PO Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504
- Attend the public hearing (webinar). Please follow the link below to register to participate in the hearing. Once registered, you will be provided the hearing link.
In order to allow all those interested a chance to testify, each person will have up to five (5) minutes to comment on the proposed WAC language changes during the hearing. Please ensure your comments are specific to the proposal.
For questions about the rules hearing process, please contact the OSPI Rules Coordinator, Kristin Murphy, at Kristin.murphy@k12.wa.us
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) plans to post a Request for Funding Applications (RFA) for the School-Based Health Centers – Improving Health Care Access for Children and Adolescents in Washington grant program on March 15, 2022. The application period will close on April 15, 2022.
The grant program will award $1.35 million in 12-month grants to establish and expand school-based health centers (SBHCs) in Washington for K-12 students in public schools, with a focus on communities and populations who have been historically underserved. The grants are awarded as part of implementing Substitute House Bill 1225. DOH expects to award three or more of each of the following grant types:
- Planning Grants: Up to $50,000 each, to plan for a new SBHC in a community or school where one does not currently operate
- Start-Up Grants: Up to $250,000 each, to start and open a SBHC where one does not currently operate
- Operational, Expansion, and/or Improvement Grants: Up to $150,000 each, to maintain, improve, or expand existing SBHC operations
Please share this upcoming opportunity with your networks. Potential applicants can begin preparing for the application now by:
- Identifying how a SBHC project could improve a need in their community
- Collecting Letters of Support, Memoranda of Understanding, Memoranda of Agreement, Tribal Resolutions, and/or Tribal Letters of Support from partners, such as:
- School and school district administration
- School nurse
- Organizations or representative groups of the community/population of focus
You’ll be able to find more information and the application on the WA Portal website as of March 15, 2022. If you have any questions about the grant opportunity, please contact Mary Simock, DOH School-Based Health Center Program Coordinator, in the Office of Family and Community Health Improvement at mary.simock@doh.wa.gov.
Please contact us at healthservices@k12.wa.us or by phone: (360) 725-6054
We check phone message intermittently. During the pandemic, email is the best way to contact Health Services staff for a more immediate response.
School Health Services | OSPI (www.k12.wa.us)
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