Strengthening Policy Collaboration between Health and Education Sectors for Healthy Youth

Incorporating health in all policies will require more deliberate collaboration between diverse sectors.  In 2000, several national organizations with an interest in school health joined forces with education groups to create an advocacy group called the Friends of School Health that supported a Congressional caucus lead by Reps. Lois Capps RN (CA-D) and Connie Morella (MD-R).  FOSH was a non-partisan coalition that helped educate opinion leaders and decision-makers about the nature and value of various school health policies and programs.  In 2012, this partnership evolved into the Student Health Advocacy Coalition (SHAC).  Now more than 30 national organizations (NGOs) cooperate to sponsor Congressional briefings, news conferences, and other education events that help opinion leaders and decision makers understand the nature and value of various coordinated school health programs for our nation’s children and youth.  SHAC’s education and health NGO representatives also regularly educate legislators and other policymakers about key school health issues through individual visits to Congressional and administrative (such as OMB) offices.  SHAC members often include the executive director, government relations staff, or legislative staff of participating NGOs.  SHAC thus serves as a vital education and health partnership to improve both education and health outcomes in our democratic society. This session will provide information and perspectives about some current federal legislative opportunities related to school health, share learnings about the legislative process, describe a recent congressional briefing introducing the whole child model, and describe lessons learned in improving the collaboration between education and health sectors.