Health Services
(209) 468.9200 • Staff Directory
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 Education students and their families are less likely to access the varying services provided in different communities and often need assistance in identifying and accessing local resources. Supplemental health and social services are provided through our program to identify migrant students.
The mission Migrant Education is to:
• Collaborate with resources in the community to secure the health and well-being of migrant students;
• Facilitate locating and securing services for families within the community;
• Provide information to prevent and assist with health related issues;
• Promote and advocate for parent self-sufficiency; and
• Empower migrant families to utilize available health, social, legal, and educational resources.
The goal is to have all migrant children attend school regularly and achieve their academic potential unhindered by health issues. The program serves migrant children in San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties.
Health and social service facilitators provide an array of services, including, but not limited to:
• Health and support services for migrant students;
• Assessment, access, advocacy and assistance in applying for health programs;
• Case management of health referrals and support services;
• Centralized health-data collection;
• Promote parent/child education on health-related issues; and
• Referrals for physician care, dental services, pharmacy, vision needs, and limited emergency services.
Health facilitators continuously receive current and updated information on areas of Nutrition, Diabetes, Women, Infants, and Children (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.
The regional manager for Migrant Education's 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 this program is to increase access to health resources and bring community members together with health providers and 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, including but not limited to: Community Medical Centers, Health Plan of San Joaquin, San Joaquin Public Health Services, Catholic Charities, El Concilio, California Human Development, and Atienza Family Dental. These are only a few of the many doctors, dentists, and other health care professionals who have extended services to migrant children.
By collaborating with the community, Migrant Education is able to accomplish its mission and help 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.