Question

ANITA CONSIDERS HERSELF A SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALIST. SHE GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE WITH A MAJOR IN HEALTH EDUCATION/PROMOTION AND AN EMPHASIS IN SCHOOL HEALTH. SHE IS LICENSED BY THE STATE IN WHICH SHE LIVES TO TEACH HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS. SHE IS ALSO A CHES AND HAS BEEN VOCAL IN ADVOCATING THAT ALL SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS SHOULD BE CHESS.
ANITA HAS BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE A 30-MINUTE PRESENTATION TO AN AUDIENCE THAT WILL BE MOSTLY SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS. YOUR TASK IS TO HELP ANITA DEVELOP THE MAIN POINTS OF HER PRESENTATION. WHY SHOULD SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS BECOME CHES? ALSO, BE THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE. WHAT ARGUMENTS WILL SHE LIKELY HEAR FROM THOSE WHO ARE NOT CERTIFIED AND DO NOT FEEL CERTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT? HOW CAN SHE RESPOND TO THESE ARGUMENTS

Answer 1

A health education specialist teaches behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities.

Health education specialists offer knowledge, skills and training that complements the work of others — health care providers, policy makers, and human resource personnel.

Indivuduals who practice in the school health setting may hold such titles as District Wellness Coordinator, School Nutrition Educator, Health and Wellness Progarm Coordinator. Job duties may include:

• Manage the process of maintaining and updating student health records
• Coordinate with staff to collect, record and report immunizations
• Coordinate annual vision and hearing screenings
• Perform health screenings and assessments for students and students referred for suspected health problems
• Develop, plan and implement network health policies and procedures
• Screen and evaluates findings during screenings
• Provide assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, management and referral for appropriate medical care of students with acute/chronic health conditions and in emergency situations
• Act as a resource person in promoting health in schools
• Act as a resource for infection control

• Health education improves the health of people, families, and communities.
• Health education focuses on prevention of illness and disease.
• Health education reduces costly premature death and disability.
• Health education reduces the financial and human costs of medical treatment.

CHES designation signifies that an individual possesses the proper qualifications for, and has successfully passed a competency-based examination demonstrating skill and knowledge of the Seven Areas of Responsibility, upon which the credential is based.

The Seven Areas of Responsibility that make up the standards of the credential are:

1. Assess individual and community needs for health education
2. Plan effective health education strategies, interventions, and programs
3. Implement health education strategies, interventions, and programs
4. Conduct evaluation and research related to health education
5. Administer health education strategies, interventions, and programs
6. Serve as a health education resource person
7. Communicate and advocate for health and health education

There are several tangible benefits to becoming a CHES:

• Establishes a national standard for practice, as opposed to state or local certifications and registries
• Attests to an individual's knowledge and skills in areas deemed necessary to the field of practice as delineated by the profession
• Assists employers in identifying qualified practitioners and assures employers that services are provided by professionals who have met national standards
• Convey a sense of pride and accomplishment in the profession
• Promotes continued professional development

These are considered some of the “core academic skills” required for college and beyond. According to Roderick, Nagaoka, and Coca (2009), “Core academic skills, such as writing and analytical thinking, are not subject-specific, but rather allow students to engage in work in a range of disciplines” (p. 190; Conley, 2007). Each of these “core academic skills” can be enhanced by a student applying the devil’s advocate approach. It helps students elevate their thinking, and by extension writing, to a level that will benefit them beyond high school.

All teachers are capable of integrating the devil’s advocate approach into their teaching toolbox. By establishing a classroom based on mutual respect and cooperative learning, teachers can elevate the dialogue in their classroom to facilitate critical thinking. Teachers can achieve this by discussing controversial issues, providing students with multiple perspectives, and challenging students with tough questions. In such a classroom, students will become more engaged and students’ critical thinking and writing skills will be enriched.

Example ; Research by Prelip (2001), found that health education professionals with the CHES certification expressed high levels of job satisfaction and satisfaction with compensation, work, coworkers, and supervision. Nearly three-fourths of the current survey respondents considered the CHES credential to be important to the health education profession, and more than three-fourths from the professional survey and the academic program survey indicated that it would be important to link accreditation to certification.