Health Equity and Rural Education Testing School-Based Community Health Workers to Support Rural Students with Poor Attendance

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying students in rural areas who have poor school attendance to see if a school-based community health worker SB-CHW intervention can help address barriers related to social and mental health needs. This study also compares this intervention to an enhanced usual care approach and aims to evaluate the feasibility of recruiting students and families, completing the trauma-informed intervention, and collecting relevant study data. The study involves youth in grades 6-12 and their parents or guardians. The study has two phases Phase I lasts 6 months and gathers feedback from community members, students, caregivers, and health workers to improve the intervention plan. Phase II lasts 18 months and tests the feasibility of delivering the SB-CHW intervention, where community health workers support students through at least two 30-minute sessions focused on social needs and trauma-informed care. The comparison group receives reminders about an online social services directory without direct community health worker involvement. Participants and their families will be involved in meetings with community health workers and complete various assessments about their social needs, mental health, family engagement, and school attendance. Researchers will monitor outcomes like use of school health services and school attendance over about 10 months, covering one school year. Data will be collected at enrollment and study completion to evaluate the interventions feasibility and impact.

Health Equity and Rural Education (HERE!) Clinical Trial