Health Department Resources
Health Department Resources
Welcome to the Island Trees School District Health Teachers’ Resource & Support Homepage. The purpose of this site is to provide trusted websites and quality information to our community. Here you will find resources related to various physical, mental and social health topics. With the abundance of online information out there today, the intent of this website is to make information more readily available to our community members. Through our homepage, we can build a stronger connection to our families and important health related concerns that impact them and our students.
The content provided is not a comprehensive list but rather ones the Island Trees Health Department feels will be of most value to our community. We welcome the opportunity to work with community members on an individual basis if there are further resources you may need or that we could assist you with. Please feel free to contact the Island Trees Health teachers should you have questions or concerns related to the topics below:
Mike Bonsignore: Mbonsignore@islandtrees.org
Vicki Firmbach: vfirmbach@islandtrees.org
Jaime Roche: jroche@islandtrees.org.
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SAMSHA’s National Helpline, as well as treatment centers, for Various Health Concerns.
National Institute on Drugs
Science based research on teen drug use and its effects. This site includes drug facts, activities, games and more for teens, parents, and educators.The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD)
Myths and Facts PDF regarding underage drinking.How Alcohol Affects the Brain Videos, lesson plans, and activities for parents, teachers, and kids to learn about alcohol’s effect on the brain.
Generation Rx
This website provides educational resources to help prevent the misuse of prescription medications and is provided through a partnership between The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and the Cardinal Health Foundation. -
Asthma
Website details understanding, managing and treating asthma.American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is committed to supporting those affected by asthma. It offers a variety of resources and information about the disease.Resources about Asthma
Resources for parents, caregivers, and kids. -
What Is Type 1 Diabetes
Link for teens to understand what diabetes is, causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment.Diabetes in Children and Teens
Resources for information, prevention, and treatment for diabetes in children and teens.Obesity In Children And Teens
Causes, risks, and management of obesity in children and adolescents -
Long Island Crisis Center
Long Island Crisis Center provides 24/7, free, high quality, confidential and non-judgmental programs and services to support and empower Long Islanders at critical times in their lives.The National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders, transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses.Mental Health Literacy
This team is committed to creating and delivering the highest quality mental health literacy information, research, education and resources. The materials are provided in a variety of mediums that include videos, animations, brochures, e-books, face-to-face training programs, and online training programs. The materials are specifically designed to meet the needs of children, young adults, families, educators, community agencies and health care providers.Family Members and Caregivers
This website is filled with information for parents and caregivers. It details warning signs and symptoms, mental health conditions, treatments, statistics, and many other resources for helping an individual in crisis.Child Mind Institute
A parent’s guide to getting good care for a child who is struggling.SAMHSA’s National Helpline
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment resources for individuals in distress. -
Epilepsy Foundation Long Island
EPIC’s mission is to enrich the lives of those we serve through quality care, a broad range of services and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Their services, including 15 residential facilities and an array of programs for developmentally disabled adults, a mental health clinic, and dozens of programs related to epilepsy, touch the lives of 11,000 children and adults each year. -
Food Allergies
Various resources to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. -
Food Safety
Foodborne illness is caused by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. Many different disease-causing microbes or pathogens can contaminate foods, so there are many different types of foodborne illnesses. This link will give you information to guide you on how to prevent contamination from food.Mayo Clinic Minute: How to avoid foodborne illness
The majority of foodborne illnesses in your kitchen are caused by cross-contamination of raw meat. The above link is an example of how to handle raw meats. -
Accidents happen but parents/guardians can play a key role in helping children prevent minor and major injuries.
https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/injury_prevention/children/webresources.htm Provides important safety information for both parents/guardians and kids. Site shares fact sheets, educational programs and links to other resources (toolkits, publications and additional websites)
Injury Prevention and Safety
Great PDF tool for K-6 families and kids to work together on various injury prevention activities. -
Eating well helps to reduce the risk of physical health problems like heart disease and diabetes. It also helps with sleeping patterns, energy levels, and your general health.
Nutrition and dietary needs are mentioned in this link below.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The link below is the complete and more detailed dietary guidelines. -
SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States. The link below is filled with informative resources.
OPEN has one mission: to improve the effectiveness of physical education for every child. OPEN is a backward design curriculum project that targets SHAPE America’s National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes. The link below provides curricular activities, professional development and equipment. -
Sleeping is a basic human need. It is a vital part of the foundation for good health and well-being, especially for children and adolescents.
Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries and loss of productivity.
To understand sleep deficiency, it helps to understand how sleep works and why it's important.
Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health.
What Sleep Is and Why All Kids Need It
Article defines what sleep is and why it is vital for children of all ages to get enough hours of sleep each night.Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
Article from Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital discussing the importance of sleep for kids.Improve Your Child’s School Performance With a Good Night’s Sleep
Article from Sleep Foundation that correlates sleep with increased school performanceWhat Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?
Defines and explains what sleep deprivation and deficiency means as well as the signs, symptoms and complications.Sleep in School-Aged Children
Article from Nationwide Children’s Hospital highlighting effects of sleep deprivation and suggestions to help your school-aged child sleep well. -
Understanding the issues concerning suicide and mental health is an important way to take part in suicide prevention, help others in crisis, and change the conversation around suicide. Below are links that provide programs, information and help hotlines.
Long Island Crisis Cente
Long Island Crisis Center provides 24/7, free, high quality, confidential and non-judgmental programs and services to support and empower Long Islanders at critical times in their lives.If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. -
There is well established evidence that exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun can lead to skin cancer and eye damage. For best protection use a combination of sun protection measures. Each link will talk about the UV index, preventions and how to care for sun burns.
Sun Exposure
Below. the CDC offers tips on sun exposure as well as other resources on travelers’ health.We all need some sun exposure. When skin is exposed to the sun, our bodies make vitamin D which helps the body absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. But how much is too much? Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer
Dr. Rubi speaks about SPF sunscreens, which one to use and how often to apply sunscreen.
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Ticks can be active year-round, even during winter, whenever temperatures are above 40° F. As a result, precautions should be taken against tick bites throughout the year. Ticks can transmit disease, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Powassan virus. In recent years, researchers have also found that ticks may cause an allergy to meat, known as alpha-gal allergy. Below are links that will go into detail about how to prevent, recognize and care for tick bites.
Tick Tips - Ways to Prevent Tick Bites
This short clip talks about ways to protect yourself from ticks when enjoying the outside.
Tickborne Diseases of the United States
The link above allows you to view tick borne disease in the US. Great link to have when traveling.
What Does a Tick Bite Look Like? These Pictures Can Help You Identify One
Are tick bites itchy? Do they always cause a rash? Experts explain the telltale signs to watch out for this summer. The above link talks about what ticks look like and their bites.
Know the types of ticks. The link above is a guide on the types of ticks.
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Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Each year, approximately 480,000 Americans die from tobacco-related illnesses.
Tobacco Prevention Toolkit!
The link above is a resource tool to stop middle school and high school aged students from using tobacco.How can we prevent tobacco use?
The link above includes a research report about Tobacco, Nicotine, and E-Cigaretteshttps://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/tobacco-use
Healthy People is managed by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Below is a link about the effects and prevention of tobacco use.Vaping has become one of the more popular ways to consume both tobacco and marijuana. Such devices produce an aerosol byproduct from heating up a liquid that sometimes consists of flavorings and other chemicals that make vaping seem less harsh. Below are links on youth vaping prevention and resources for quitting.
E-Cigarette and Vaping Resources
Curriculums to address vaping, cannabis use, and prescription drug misuse
https://catchinfo.org/modules/e-cigarettes/
Learn the statistics and facts for the major health risks of vaping and start the conversation at home today. -
Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power to threaten or harm others. Violence occurs in many forms, including child abuse and neglect,bullying, cyberbullying, fights, threats with weapons, and gang related violence. A person can be involved with violence as a victim, offender, or witness. Below are links to programs about prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies.