An interdisciplinary health team training program for school staff in Minnesota

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary Health
• School Health Services
• Team Training

Background:

• School-based clinics are vital for student health.
• Effective interdisciplinary team functioning is crucial for optimal service delivery.
• Existing training programs may not adequately address the unique needs of school health teams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an interdisciplinary health team training program for school-based clinic staff.
• To evaluate the program's impact on team functioning, practice levels, and healthcare services.
• To assess improvements in staff knowledge and skills related to school health issues.

Main Methods:

• A training program was developed for interdisciplinary staff from elementary, middle, and senior high school clinics.
• The program included advanced team training and educational sessions on participant-identified issues.
• Program evaluations assessed changes in knowledge, skills, and team functioning.

Main Results:

• Participants reported increased knowledge and improved team functioning after the training.
• Staff demonstrated gains in understanding specific school health topics, including violence, resiliency, family engagement, and self-care.
• The training positively impacted participants' perceived ability to deliver effective school health services.

Conclusions:

• The interdisciplinary health team training program effectively enhanced school-based clinic staff's knowledge and team collaboration.
• The program demonstrated positive outcomes in skill development for addressing critical school health issues.
• This training initiative provides a replicable model for improving interdisciplinary school health team performance nationwide.