Community Health Workers (CHW) Assistance Program

Trust Model: A Relationship-Based Approach to Addressing Student Absences

What is happening with our students?

Students who miss just three or more days of school each month can be set back 1 to 2 years academically. By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism is a leading predictor that a student will drop out of high school. Impact of this is poor literacy, which has long term effects on the student, their family, and our community.

• 200 students missed over 25 days per year

• Chronic absenteeism is 12% - 17% of student body, over the last 3 years

• Those with high Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores are 4x more likely to be absent

A "chronically absent" student is defined as a student who misses 10% or more school days with or without a valid excuse. A "chronically truant" student is defined as a student who misses 5% or more school days without a valid excuse.

What is the CHW Program?

The program was started by funding and guidance from SIU Medical based on a similar program that they started in Springfield, Illinois. CHW reaches out to designated families with truant students and builds relationships with the families. These families have a variety of issues including mental health, drug abuse, legal issues, substance abuse, and other health issues that have a negative effect on the family. Many students do not know how to cope, how to assist a parent, or who to reach out to for assistance or guidance. QPS-CHW assists these kids and their families, on a confidential basis, to help chronically absent students return to school.

Community Health Workers

Connect families to Community Services such as:

• Physical Health

• Mental Health

• Food Pantries

• Transpotation

• Housing

• Department of Human Services

Provide:

• General assistance with Social Services (Food, hygiene, clothing)

• Support through family advocacy

• Support with alternative education avenues when needed

Do Community Health Workers make a difference?

We are proud of the success we have seen in just three short years since the program began in our community. There has been a 36% decrease in absenteeism per student, reading skills improvement in 100% of the student and 40% of the students received grades of C or better, compared to 27% the prior year. This improvement has a dramatic impact on the lives of these students, their families, and the community they choose to live in - Our Community.

Fourteen students who participated in the program for a full year recouped 507 days of school. On average, each student gained seven weeks of learning time.

How can I help?

We must depend on donations to help support the positive impact CHW has on the kids, their families, and out community. Please consider making a donation to the program.

Mail donations to:

Mike Troup, QPS - CHW Assist. Program, 520 North 30th St., Ste. 20 Quincy, IL 62301

Learn more at www.qps.org/trust