The day begins early for the Baton Rouge Children’s Health Project (BRCHP) team. Oneal Issac and Winnie Harris, the team drivers and registrars, start up the mobile units and depart for the day’s location. The Medical Mobile Unit (MMU) and the Community Support and Resiliency Unit (CSRU) travel to several schools and trailer villages in the North Baton Rouge and Baker areas. The bright blue units are easily spotted and are often perceived as a source of hope and relief to community members. On this particular day, both units are parked in front of a middle school. Toni Bankston, LCSW, and the rest of the mental health team board the CSRU to begin the day’s work. After a brief staffing, Dr. Alyson McCain, one of the team psychologists heads into the school to inquire about a student, while Jenee Wells, GSW, starts a psychosocial assessment with a parent and Toni begins a play therapy session. The client seen by Dr. McCain is in need of a renewed prescription, after a few minutes of conversation with the student, she walks the student over to the MMU where Doreatia Hart, RN, and Dr. Heidi Sinclair are busily attending to patients. Dr. Sinclair takes time to speak with the client and assistwith the needed prescription

The student is then escorted back to the school office. A situation that could have required the student to miss half a day or more of school for needed medical attention took no more than 45 minutes. This is one of many instances when medical and mental health needs that might be missed or overlooked are met by the integrated services provided by the MMU and the CSRU. Together, the units are making a difference to the children and families in our community.

Welcome, New Team Members
The staff of BRCHP rely on a team approach to getting work done. The unique nature of the program as well as the intense need the program encounters requires cooperation and mutual aid. The BRCHP team would like to welcome its newest members, Jennifer Hackler, Linda Lee and Christine Whitlow. Jennifer Hackler joins us as an Art Therapist and Marriage and Family Therapist. Jennifer received her training at Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, California and has experience working with children and adolescents in school-based settings. Linda Lee comes to us from the LSU School of Social Work and has taken the position of Program Administrator. Linda has extensive experience in medical and mental health fields. Christine’s first contact with the program was as an intern while working on her MSW from LSU. Christine now joins us as a social worker. Also newly on board are Schaun Morgan, program case manager; Winnie Harris, registrar and driver; and Elizabeth Domingue, health educator. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Patricia Toups and Dr. Lynn Schecter who expertly served the program. We thank them both for the time they spent working with us.