Office of School System Medical Officer
Supporting the school district through health expertise, health partnerships and health-focused community engagement.
Our mission is to help the school community work together to understand and elevate the health and well-being of students, their families, and staff, through collaboration, innovative health initiatives, and programmatic support.
Vision
We believe that...
- A comprehensive and proactive approach to school health plays a key role in maintaining a climate of true academic excellence
- The health and well-being of students, and the families and staff who support them, is critical to their full academic engagement and success.
- Unmet health needs and health-associated barriers to school engagement contribute to gaps in academic achievement, and that addressing health needs and barriers within the scope of the school system’s work promotes equity in the teaching and learning environment
- In our school community, everyone has a role in protecting and promoting health and well-being, for themselves and those around them
Resources
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Montgomery County COVID-19 Information Portal
- School Based Health and Wellness Centers
- MCPS COVID-19 School Dashboard
- Be Well 365
COVID-19 Links
- 2022-2023 MCPS Safe Return to In-Person Instruction Plan: Health and Safety Procedures
- MCPS COVID-19 Dashboard
- MCPS COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form (for students and staff to report positive test results)
- Montgomery County COVID-19 Information Portal
- The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: “COVID-19: Your Health”
Girls' Summit
Satuday, October 21, 2023
9am - 1pm at Clarksburg HS
Inviting all MCPS families to the MCPS Girls’ Summit. Join us for informative workshops geared towards middle and high school girls on a variety of current topics. Attendees will also get a chance to network with each other, participate in fun activities and enjoy a fashion show presented by White House Black Market celebrating diverse body types!
Sessions will be provided in both English and Spanish and will be organized by grade level.
Topics include:
- Healthy relationships/dating violence
- Social media use and mental health (including cyberbullying)
- Self-esteem
- Identifying symptoms of depression & anxiety
- Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide (how to get help)
- Healthy eating
- Body image
- AND MUCH MORE!
SSL hours available for students
Narcan training & distribution on site
FAMILY FORUM ON FENTANYL & LIFE SAVING NARCAN TRAINING
One Pill Can Kill & No One Is Immune
Dr. Kapunan's Message on Fentanyl Prevention
Fentanyl Message (Spanish)
Meet Dr. Patricia Kapunan
Meet the new MCPS School System Medical Officer (SSMO), Dr. Patricia Kapunan
In this episode of MCPS Waymaking, the new School System Medical Officer (SSMO), Dr. Patricia Kapunan, joins Dr. Chester to discuss the role and responsibilities of this new position within the school system and how she will help lead in matters related to the health and well-being of MCPS students and staff.
Health Information
The internet is a great way to share knowledge, but finding useful health information online can be challenging. Good health information should be understandable, up-to-date and reliable. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers a useful guide on how to find reliable health information online.
Youth
Health information for teens and young adults (Boston Children’s Hospital)
GirlsHealth.gov: An easy to navigate website geared towards girls, with many health topics from the Office on Women’s Health.
Nemours Foundation has websites for both teens and younger children.
Parents/Caregivers
- Healthy Children
The Parenting Website of the American Academy of Pediatrics - Rise and Shine
Advice for keeping kids healthy and happy from Children’s National - Internet safety tips for parents
Common Sense Media
Staff
The MCPS Employee Wellness Program within the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC) offers many health education opportunities and programs for employees, and support navigating employee health benefits.
- The Well Aware Wellness Toolbox makes it easy to find free health classes, wellness discounts, and other health-related resources.
- Check out Wellness News for resource highlights and ongoing activity challenges.
In addition to confidential counseling and consultation, the MCPS Employee Assistance Program offers mental health and well-being education for staff, including:
- Well-Being Matters Series
MCPS-TV Videos focusing on staff health and wellness. - Workshops, articles, and links
More information about a large variety of mental health topics - Healthy Outlook Newsletter
A quarterly publication highlighting new and important resources for staff mental health, coping and support.
General health information:
- The National Institutes of Health
- The Mayo Clinic (Español)
- The Cleveland Clinic Health Library
- FamilyDoctor.org (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Behavioral Health Resources
- MCPS Fentanyl Page
- Parent CRAFT program page
- SAMHSA Treatment Locator Tool
- SAMHSA Parent & Caregiver Resources
- Get Smart About Drugs
- Montgomery County Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health on family support meetings
- Montgomery County Substance Use Disorder providers
- Montgomery County Child and Adolescent Assessment Services (CAAS)
School Health and School Health Services
School Health Services
MCPS partners with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) School Health Services program.
DHHS staff provide health services to students in school health rooms and school-based health clinics.
- MCPS School Health Services - information and links to important forms
- Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
Be Well 365
Be Well 365 incorporates a comprehensive approach to student health and wellness.
The Be Well 365 website describes the programs and people supporting its six essential focus areas, and provides links to local wellness resources for specific schools.
MCPS Health & Wellness
For additional detail about health and wellness curriculum and supports in MCPS, refer to the Health and Wellness page.
Community Messages
- Back to School Message: COVID-19 Information for Fall 2023 (August 2023)
- Save the Date, Fentanyl Event (February 2023)
- Rising Rates of Covid-19 in Our Community (January 2023)
- Reducing the Potential Impact of Respiratory Illness (December 2022)
- Dangerous Trend in Substance Use (December 2022)
- Important Information for Thanksgiving Break (November 2022)
- Daylight Saving Time and Sleep Health (November 2022)
- Flu, RSV and Halloween Safety (October 2022)
- Information about COVID and flu vaccine (October 2022)
- COVID update, info about masking and bivalent boosters (September 2022)
- Information about vaccine clinics, testing and masking (August 2022)
Website Feedback
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