Health and Support Services

Support Services

McKinney-Vento Homeless Support

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change.

Talk

If a person talks about:

Killing themselves
Feeling hopeless
Having no reason to live
Being a burden to others
Feeling trapped
Unbearable pain

Behavior

Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

Increased use of alcohol or drugs
Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods
Withdrawing from activities
Isolating from family and friends
Sleeping too much or too little
Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
Giving away prized possessions
Aggression
Fatigue

Mood

People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

Depression
Anxiety
Loss of interest
Irritability
Humiliation/Shame
Agitation/Anger
Relief/Sudden Improvement

(https://afsp.org/risk-factors-protective-factors-and-warning-signs/)

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988.

Prescriber Authorization

Over the Counter Parent Authorization

Vaccination Information

Immunization Schedule

Each child enrolled in day care, Head Start, and public or private school in Alabama must have a valid Alabama Certificate of Immunization on file at the facility that they attend. The certificate may be obtained from the physician or clinic that administers the vaccine or may be completed by any county health department in the State if the parent presents a vaccine record from the provider. For students who are moving to Alabama, out-of-state vaccine records must be transferred to the Alabama Certificate of Immunization prior to day care, Head Start, or school entry. This may be accomplished by taking a vaccine record from the provider to the local county health department, or, if a physician in Alabama has been chosen by the family, the record may be transposed by the physician.

The State of Alabama does not recognize philosophical, moral, or ethical exemption from vaccination. A medical exemption may be issued by a physician or an Alabama Certificate of Religious Exemption may be obtained from the local county health department. Attendees of day care and Head Start must be age-appropriately vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, PCV, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio, and chickenpox.

Children attending 5 year-old-kindergarten through 12th grade must have had 5 doses of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine (4 if the 4th dose was received after the 4th birthday) and 4 doses of polio vaccine (3 if the 3rd dose was received after the 4th birthday). Booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria toxoid vaccine must be given every 5-10 years after the preschool booster. Children in these grades should also have received 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine and 1 dose each of mumps and rubella vaccine, usually administered as 2 doses of MMR vaccine. Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine for kindergarten entry became a requirement in 2001. A positive test for varicella immunity or documentation of chickenpox disease is acceptable in lieu of varicella vaccine. Also, children attending 6th grade are required to have Tdap.

College Requirements

College vaccination requirements are specified by individual institutions. There are no state-regulated college requirements for vaccination. However, it is recommended that college attendees be up-to-date with all childhood vaccines and to consider meningococcal vaccination for college freshman who will be living in dormitories.

HPV

Meningoccocal Disease

Tdap

School Health Laws

Anaphylaxis/ Kyle Grady Act

2014 Code of Alabama
Title 16 - EDUCATION.
Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Section 16-1-48 - Anaphylaxis preparedness program.

Universal Citation: AL Code § 16-1-48 (2014)

Section 16-1-48Anaphylaxis preparedness program.

(a) The State Department of Education shall develop an anaphylaxis preparedness program to be adopted by each local board of education and implemented in each K-12 public school commencing with the 2015-2016 scholastic year. The Alabama State Board of Pharmacy shall provide guidance, direction, and advice to the State Department of Education in developing and administering the anaphylaxis preparedness program.

(b) The anaphylaxis preparedness program shall incorporate the following three levels of prevention initiated by licensed public school nurses as a part of the health services program:

(1) Level I, primary prevention: Education programs that address food allergies and anaphylaxis through both classroom and individual instruction for staff and students.

(2) Level II, secondary prevention: Identification and management of chronic illness.

(3) Level III, tertiary prevention: The development of a planned response to anaphylaxis-related emergencies in the school setting.

(c) Each local board of education may collaborate with a physician to develop and maintain a protocol for emergency response that shall include a supply of premeasured, autoinjectable epinephrine on each public school campus to treat potentially life threatening allergic reactions. Single dose autoinjectable epinephrine may be administered or provided to school children by the school nurse, or unlicensed school personnel who have completed an anaphylaxis training program conducted by a nationally recognized organization experienced in training laypersons in emergency health treatment or other medication administration program approved by the State Department of Education and State Board of Nursing. Training may be conducted online or in person and, at a minimum, shall cover each of the following:

(1) Techniques on how to recognize symptoms of severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

(2) Standards and procedures for the storage and administration of an autoinjectable epinephrine.

(3) Emergency follow-up procedures.

(d) A school that possesses and makes available autoinjectable epinephrine and its employees, agents, and other trained personnel, and any person who conducts the training described in subsection (c), shall be immune from suit and not liable for any civil damages resulting from any acts or omissions in the supervision or rendering of services, care, or assistance to a student under this section, nor for any civil damages resulting from any act, or failure to act, to provide or arrange for further treatment, care, or assistance. No information or protocols produced related to this section shall be construed to establish a standard of care for physicians or otherwise modify, amend, or supersede any provision of the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1996, commencing with Section 6-5-540, or any amendment thereto, or any judicial interpretation thereof. Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, a physician who is consulted or participates in regard to anaphylaxis-related emergencies, or develops, maintains, or is otherwise associated with, a protocol under this section, or takes any other action associated with, or related to, this section, is immune from all civil and criminal liability for any such acts.

(e) The requirement that a supply of premeasured, autoinjectable epinephrine be secured and maintained on each public school campus shall only be enforced if funding is provided by the state.

(Act 2014-405, §1.)

Backpack Act

Diabetes - Safe at School

Section 16-30A-5 - Appropriate care for students under Individual Health Plan; availability of nurse or medication assistant

(a) The local board of education shall ensure that each student in the school or system with a diabetic condition receives appropriate care as specified in his or her Individual Health Plan.

(b) The school nurse or a trained unlicensed medication assistant, to the extent required by the student's Individual Health Plan, shall be on site and available to provide care to each student with diabetes during regular school hours and school-sponsored before school and after school care programs, during field trips, extended off-site excursions, extracurricular activities in which the student is a direct participant, and on buses when the bus driver is not a trained unlicensed medication assistant.

Ala. Code § 16-30A-5 (1975)

Added by Act 2014-437,§ 5, eff. 7/1/2014.

Influenza

Section 16-1-49 - Information on influenza and it vaccine to be provided to parents and guardians of students

(a) If a local board of education provides information on immunizations, infectious diseases, medications, or other school health issues to parents and guardians of students in grades K through 12, then all of the following information about influenza disease and its vaccine shall be included:

(1) A description of causes, symptoms, and means of transmission.

(2) A list of sources for additional information.

(3) Related recommendations issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(b) The Department of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Public Health, shall develop and make available the information about influenza disease and its vaccine to local school systems as required under subsection (a) in an efficient manner that may include posting the information on its website.

(c) A board, board member, or an employee of a local board of education shall be immune from civil liability for acts or omissions in the implementation of this section in accordance with Section 36-1-12.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to establish a standard of care for hospitals or physicians or otherwise modify, amend, or supersede any provision of the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1987 or the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1996, or any amendment thereto, or any judicial interpretation thereof. The information developed, or made available, under this section shall not constitute a standard for the practice of medicine.

Ala. Code § 16-1-49 (1975)

Added by Act 2017-368,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2017.

Meningococcal - Jessica Elkins Law

Seizures - Safe at School USMA

https://legiscan.com/AL/text/HB76/id/2397125/Alabama-2021-HB76-Enrolled.pdf

This bill would provide that a parent or guardian of a student with a seizure disorder may seek care for the student while the student is at school or is participating in a school sponsored activity by submitting a seizure management and treatment plan to the local board of education for inclusion in the individual health plan of the student

This bill would also provide for the administration of seizure disorder medication by unlicensed medication assistants and require training relating to seizure disorders

Relating to public K-12 schools; to provide that a parent or guardian of a student with a seizure disorder may seek care for the student while the student is at school or is participating in a school sponsored activity by submitting a seizure management and treatment plan to the local board of education for inclusion in the individual health plan of the student; to provide for the administration of seizure disorder medication by unlicensed medication assistants; and to require training relating to seizure disorders.

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