Serving Schools

The SNAP ED program provides evidence based, nutrition and physical activity curriculum in elementary and middle school classrooms across Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego county school districts. To further reinforce the lessons learned in the classroom, the program also provides support to school administrators in assessing and improving the health of their schools through policy, systems and environmental changes well as implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement initiatives. The goals of the program are to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and participation in physical activity among intervention participants as well as make improvements to the school districts to encourage and promote these behavior changes.

The Substance Use Prevention Program aims to prevent youth substance use, increase community awareness and create change through collaboration, education, prevention initiatives and environmental strategies of tobacco, alcohol and other substance use in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties. Throughout the Health Department of Northwest Michigan district, there are two youth substance use prevention coalitions -- SAFE in Northern Michigan and RISE: Otsego Substance Free Coalition. For more information about these coalitions please visit: www.safeinnm.com and www.riseotsego.com.

The Health Department also has community collaboration efforts with MSU Extension on Michigan Substance Use, Prevention, Education and Recovery (MiSUPER). MiSUPER is a collaborative project that combines education with training events to increase awareness of opioid use disorder issues.

Your child's ability to see and hear is very important to the learning process. A vision test is required prior to school entry. Appointments are available in each county for free vision and hearing screening. In cooperation with your local school district, hearing and vision testing is offered through your child's school years according to the following schedule:

Vision:

Preschool, Kindergarten and grades 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9

Hearing:

Preschool, Kindergarten, and grades 2 & 4

FREE Vision Screening is available at your local Health Department of Northwest Michigan office for all children, 3-18 years of age. FREE Hearing Screening is available for all children 6 months of age and older. Call 1-800-432-4121 to make an appointment.

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan School-Based Oral Health Program provides dental screenings and sealants to schools that have a 50% or greater participation in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, or are in a dental health professional shortage area.

Unlike the mobile dentistry services you may have heard about, oral health screenings provided through the health department help to establish a local dental home where parents can be involved in treatment and follow up care is provided on a regular basis. In addition, the oral health data collected by the health department provides an overview of the current oral health status of school children in the district. This data is used to identify need and develop health and nutrition programs that build stronger communities. For more information, contact Dawn Marie Strehl, RDH at d.strehl@nwhealth.org or call 1-231-547-7620.

Download the MDDHS Health Appraisal Form.

Communicable disease investigations are important in preventing the spread of disease in our communities. The Health Department investigates all reported communicable diseases in our four-county area, including hepatitis, varicella (chickenpox), pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, and salmonellosis.

Downloads

Managing CD in Schools
FORM - Michigan School Building Weekly Report of Communicable Disease to Local Health Department
Michigan CD List
5 Year CD List in our 4 counties
Health Care Professional's Guide to Disease Reporting
Head Lice Manual
Scabies Manual
Bedbug Manual
Lyme Disease Provider Toolkit

NOROVIRUS

Cleaning and Disinfection
CDC Norovirus page

Related Links

10 Most Common CDs
Protect Yourself