Public Health Services to Schools
September 2011
School services include:
 Medical Alerts: Public Health Nurses are available for consultation in the management of care for students with
life-threatening medical conditions. They are also available for teacher in-services and updates.
 Anaphylaxis Training: Public Health Nurses are available to provide anaphylaxis training in the fall and spring.
 Special Health Care needs: The Nursing Support Services Coordinator is available to help develop care plans
for students and provide training for caregivers. They also provide a liaison between school, family and other
health professionals.
Immunizations: Grade 6 students - Hepatitis B, Meningococcal C, Varicella and HPV (for girls). Grade 9
students - Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis. A DVD resource about immunization is available at your school or you
can visit either the IH School Health Web site at: http://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourHealth/SchoolHealth/
and click on “Immunization” or Immunize BC at: www.immunizebc.ca.
 Communicable Disease Surveillance: Public Health is to be notified of greater than 10% absenteeism in
student and staff population due to illness (i.e. influenza like illness).
 Health Counselling: Public Health Nurses are available for confidential counselling and referral for personal
health issues.
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Health Promoting Schools Initiatives: Public Health staff are available as resource persons and may be
involved in other school health activities as determined with the school health committee.
 Tobacco Free Schools: Visit http://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourHealth/ChildrenYouth/Pages/TobaccoUse.aspx
and click on “For school professionals” to borrow resources (e.g. videos/DVDs, prizes, posters, teaching aids),
and find links to information on starting Kick the Nic! (a group cessation program) or to apply for a mini grant.
Tobacco Reduction Coordinators also offer Brief Interventions in Tobacco training to schools to enable teachers
and staff to assist their students to stop using tobacco.
 Healthy Eating: Community Nutritionists are available to assist School Districts in the implementation of the
Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools and in the development of Health Promoting Schools’
policies. Support is also provided for school food security projects such as school gardens and farm to school
initiatives. School food and nutrition resources are available on Interior Health’s school health web page.
http://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourHealth/SchoolHealth/SchoolNutrition/
Information and/or services available at Public Health Centres can include:
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 Birth Control; ECP (emergency contraception)
 Communicable Disease Counselling/Information
 Mental Health Information/Referral
Youth Clinics
Pregnancy Testing/Counselling
Prenatal Counselling or Classes
STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection)
More information available at http://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourHealth/SchoolHealth/ or contact your local Public Health
Centre (see numbers below).
Public Health Centres
West Kootenay Boundary
East Kootenay
Castlegar
Grand Forks
Kaslo
Midway
Nakusp
Nelson
Trail
250 365-7711
250 443-3150
250 353-2291
250 449-2887
250 265-3608
250 505-7200
250 364-6219
Cranbrook
Creston
Fernie
Golden
Invermere
Kimberley
Sparwood
250 420-2207
250 428-3873
250 423-8288
250 344-3001
250 342-2360
250 427-2215
250 425-2064