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Wendi Wilkes, Senior Advisor at the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, explains lead testing program that allows schools and child care agencies to remove the threat of lead; Heather Sebero, ASTHO’s Senior Analyst for Social and...
Wendi Wilkes, Senior Advisor at the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, explains lead testing program that allows schools and child care agencies to remove the threat of lead; Heather Sebero, ASTHO’s Senior Analyst for Social and Behavioral Health, says partnering with community-based organizations is a powerful tool to address mental health; ASTHO resources show that your physical environment significantly impacts health; and stay up to date by signing up for ASTHO’s Legislative alert emails.
EPA: WIIN Grant: Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program
ASTHO Webpage: What Surrounds Us Shapes Our Health—Look to Primary Prevention for Better Health
ASTHO Infographic: What Surrounds Us Shapes Our Health
ASTHO Webpage: Legislative Alerts
ROBERT JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, August 15, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
WENDI WILKES:
Last month, EPA announced the availability of $58 million in funding to address lead and drinking water at schools and childcare facilities nationwide.
JOHNSON:
Many students across the country are heading back to school this month. Wendi Wilkes is with the EPA's Office of Water. She says there's more flexibility in the way agencies can spend money allocated for school and childcare facility water projects.
WILKES:
Funding through this program is already being used to support lead testing in early care and education settings, but thanks to a program expansion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for the first time ever, funding can be used not only to test for lead, but also to remove sources of lead in schools and childcare centers.
JOHNSON:
And did that, according to Wilkes, means...
WILKES:
Future projects can include removal, installation and replacement of internal plumbing that may be leaded or have lead components. It can remove lead pipes or bad connectors. It can also replace drinking water fountains that might have lead components, among other actions that involve lead remediation. So, this program expansion is bringing us one step closer to a lead-free future.
JOHNSON:
There's also an emphasis on fair distribution of available dollars.
WILKES:
We revised our implementation document for states and territories, which now specifically requires the prioritization of assistance at schools and childcare facilities in low income areas. We're also recommending that states prioritize lead remediation activities at older facilities, which are much more likely to contain lead plumbing.
JOHNSON:
You can get more information about the program using the link in the show notes.
Something else to keep in mind as young people return to classes, high rates of isolation and loneliness among students. This is ASTHO's Heather Sebero.
HEATHER SEBERO:
We know that the lack of social connection poses a risk to the health and well-being of all individuals. However, these impacts are most felt by people who may be marginalized because of their race, age, income, location, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
JOHNSON:
Sebero says ASTHO members can get help from community partners.
SEBERO:
They can also work with partners like community-based organizations, healthcare systems, and schools to address these multiple factors. And because schools are really well-positioned to reach young people, public health agencies can work alongside schools to track social connection, and evaluate school-based practices.
JOHNSON:
Schools also can take action to help their kids get better.
SEBERO:
It's important that all students have access to spaces free from discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation, and violence. And so one policy, for example, that schools can assess to make sure that it is not discriminatory towards specific groups of students, is analyzing their school disciplinary policies to make sure that they are being implemented equitably across all racial and ethnic groups.
JOHNSON:
ASTHO has a new blog article about youth mental health. It's online now. You can read it using the link in the show notes.
Also, today, everything in a community can impact public health. O'Keyla Cooper explains.
O'KEYLA COOPER:
The physical environment significantly impacts health through factors like access to healthy food, supportive services, and housing. An ASTHO infographic helps public health professionals collaborate with communities and guide policymakers in prioritizing primary prevention, focusing on early childhood support to address root causes of health problems. The full blog article and infographic can be accessed through the link in the show notes.
JOHNSON:
Finally, this morning Congress is on break until after Labor Day. Get ready to track everything that happens on Capitol Hill in the fall by joining the list to receive ASTHO's Legislative Alert emails. Sign up using the link in the show notes.
And if you have a minute, please take the time to give us a review. We'd like to know what you think.
That'll do it for today's newscast. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
