6-06-2024 6:18am

Inside the Tiger Care Center and the Tiger Closet: The need and the positive results.

Chris Edwards Editor

The leadership team of the Tiger Care Center Alamogordo Public Schools - 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News

When one approaches Lisa Patch the Executive Director of Health Services for the Alamogordo Public Schools and asks her about the Tiger Care Center and its impact, she lights up with enthusiasm and is happy to tell the story of positive outcomes and community outreach via partnerships and collaboration. This program has evolved over time and this last two years was allowed to come together into a positive example of community collaborations that benefits a large number of students with targeted care and positive outcomes of success. This program is a shining example of what we call “Alamogordo Proud.”

The public school system can be a lightning rod subject, of questionable outcomes within some clicks of Alamogordo society, but one area of the public school's success that cannot be denied is the positive impact of the Tiger Care Center and the passion of those staff members that make it possible and work toward the health and well-being of the APS Students.

The day before graduation, I had the opportunity to meet with the Tiger Care Center staff. Under the direction of Lisa Patch. Mrs. Patch has been working for the health and wellness of Alamogordo Public School students for many years but in the last 4 years thanks to additional funding as the result of the pandemic she was able to apply for specific grants that allowed the system to formalize and enhance the services in a more focused and more polished format. The Alamogordo Public School District had only recently opened its "comprehensive space," the Tiger Care Center in November, of 2023, a building that houses necessities for students in need, but the center has already helped hundreds of students from various programs within the system.

When one thinks of Health Services within the public school system, one does not realize how broad of a reach or how large the department actually is that reports to Mrs. Patch.

But after looking into the breadth of needs, it becomes obvious that the department is a necessary part of the public education system, and a critical center point, is fast becoming the Tiger Care Center.

The department itself hosts the Executive Director, Mrs. Patch, the Mental Health Coordinator, Sandra Wilder who also met with us for our tour, a Mental Health Counselor, a Family Outreach Specialist, a Family Engagement Coordinator, a Health Services Tech Specialist and 16 school and floating nurses all tasked with ensuring the health and well-being of Alamogordo Public School Students, plus a few support personnel.

One may wonder why the school system has this large staff, but statistics show there is definitive need.

The need is so great that the existing base of non-profit agencies alone cannot meet the needs thus the services of the APS Health Services team of the Tiger Care Center are necessary.

Let's look at care by the numbers and a history of the evolution of the Tiger Care Center...

There are more than 5,500 students in the district enrolled in one high school, three middle schools, nine elementary schools, and two preschool programs. More than 1,000 of these students are dependents of active-duty service members and an additional 10-12% are considered to be "military connected."

Since 2020, Alamogordo Public Schools Health Services have worked diligently to address the increasing needs of students' physical and mental health. Thanks to an increase in funding during Covid and partnerships within the community the APS Health Services team was able to be innovative and provide resources to students when they needed it most. In addition to providing over thousands of covid tests for staff, students and families, contact tracing 10,000 students and staff and hosting the CDC for onsite research, as well as lending a hand to the Otero County public health office when staffing was low, the department purchased FLO. FLO (named after Florence Nightingale), an old RV, worked perfectly for taking resources out to students at skate parks, ball fields, drive through health fairs, providing mobile testing vaccinations and more. The greatest impact FLO has had is in addressing mental health. Having the opportunity to reach students when they were not coming to school has been invaluable.

APS and Health Services by the numbers:

Current enrollment at Alamogordo Public Schools: 5500
19.9% of Otero County’s residents are in poverty; 33% of people below age 18 (2020 US Census Bureau)
41.5% of APS students (2249 students) are economically disadvantaged
APS has a graduation rate of 84%, higher than the State of New Mexico’s 76% (NM PED 2022 data)
195 students have been identified as McKinney Vento Act homeless students which 3% of the student population over the 2023-24 SY.
Homeless students graduate from high school 13-16% less than their homed peers (USAfacts.org 2020-21, McKinney Vento)
Roadrunner Food Banks report 1 in 4 New Mexico Youth are food insecure. That is approximately 1360 students, according to current enrollment numbers.

Based on the facts above, multiple organizations are needed within the community to keep students in school healthy and fed, and there is a definite need for the Tiger Care Center and its offerings.

The numbers reflect this team has touched many students

Crisis Intervention 314
Crisis Follow up 278
Reintegration (Mental Health) 91
Reintegration (Expulsion) 36
Referral to Community Resources 190
Referral to Private Provider 177
Light Speed Alerts 162
STOP IT 50
Signs of Suicide Curriculum 777
Total number of students served 2175

A member of the team explained during our visit that the system has set up key word alerts on the systems chrome books and if discussions of suicide or other at-risk words are used on the chrome book an alert is sent to the health services team for a potential intervention. The team provided us countless situations, while keeping confidentiality, of positive outcomes and how without their reach, multiple teen suicides within APS were prevented that could have occurred this school year.

The team expressed to us during our tour of the facility the impact of grief on children when losing a parent, grandparent, sibling or guardian and how that can impact not only the student's health and mental health but also student performance in the classroom and when interacting with others. The team has done extensive counseling in grief situations and that counseling has a positive impact on keeping students in school and engaged. That outreach can have a profound impact on students. By providing that service the student stays in school and with help catches up, rather than falling behind. This could have an impact on the rest of their life. As a part of that outreach the team hosts a summer "Healing Hearts and Grief Workshop" each summer that sadly is needed and well attended.

Many of the programs now supported by the Health Services Team are a requirement of the the McKinney Vento Act which is a federal law that protects the educational rights of students, Preschool-12th Grade, experiencing housing instability. The McKinney Vento Program removes barriers to education and provides school stability.

When citizens and parents question why the public school system is involved in health care offerings, mental health workshops etc. The answer is simple, because there is a need from a segment of at risk and vulnerable students within the APS system and it is mandated by state and federal law.

Alamogordo Public Schools offered support in the area of health, laundry facilities, showers, clothing and food allowances to 195 home challenges students this past school year. Housing challenge criteria is defined as:
Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or
a similar reason (sometimes referred to as “double up”);
Living in motels, hotels, RV parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative
adequate accommodations.
Living in emergency or transitional shelters; or
Abandoned in hospitals.
Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or
private place not designed for, or ordinary used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned
buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in
circumstances described above.

Sadly, according to staff many of the students served don't have typical housing and indeed fall into the criteria above. They gave a great example of how a large $20,000 donation from the Gerald Champion Hospital Foundation at Christmas made such as huge impact. When they realized that the Angel Tree Program was not going to happen in our community last year, they partnered with Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (now Christus) to provide a Winter Care Package which consisted of a complete outfit, coat, shoes, a book, and a toy for every homeless student and other at-risk students (over 200 students) during the holiday season. The hospital gave the Tiger Care Center a $20,000 check to shop, wrap, and deliver the care packages.

The Tiger Care Center also hosts the Tiger Closet which provides new shoes, coats, jeans and clothing, a washer and dryer facility and a shower area as well as a food pantry, hygiene pantry and has washing detergents and other items necessary to provide for students in need with dignity and respect. The staff explained to us about one case in which a counselor worked with a family to bring them in and the parent did not even know what size shoes or pants her child wore as he had always had hand me downs and she was never able to purchase a new item for her child. Another instance the parent said that they appreciated the APS Tiger Closet as it is handled by appointment only so there is dignity and discretion unlike many of the other nonprofit situations. In this case counseling is available, facilities to clean and wash are available and it's all very discrete. Thus, the family took advantage of the offerings for the first time providing new clothing and showers for the students.

The Tiger Closet leadership emphasized that the staff collaborates with the large community of non-profits and other organizations with family referrals as their primary focus is student outcomes and student success - keeping the student in school, healthy and engaged.

While touring the staff introduced us to the 10 primary reasons students don't go to school and how the Tiger Center and its staff addresses those issues...

1. Hunger

2. They cannot see the board (the Tiger Center did 330 referrals for vision with assistance from Adventure Vision Van, Lions Club and social workers assisting eligible students that qualify for Medicaid.

3. Students without shoes or clothes

4. Homeless students

5. Transportation issues and they can't get to school

6. The student is in poor health

7. They need school supplies,

8. They need to work or support their family

9. They feel they don't fit in and need counseling to address the issue of fitting in

10. They need a caring adult in their life.

This school year the program provided:

Clothing 920 items, shoes 138 pairs, showers to 13 students, Food Pantry 30 boxes, Roadrunner Food Bank to 150 families per month, backpacks 850 students, school supplies 42 students, Jackets and Coats to 236 students, beds to 50 students, bed linens to 28 students, Medicaid assistance to 28 students, and Washers and Dryer use to 16 students.

An interesting program of community given is a partnership with the MTC Otero County Prison Facility and inmates that aid the local students. A Bed for Every Child is an opportunity for at-risk students to receive a hand-made bed frame and mattress for FREE.

In school year 2023-24, APS Health Services has provided students in need with:50 mattresses. 28 bed frames and 24 sets of bedding. The team explained to us that this was an increase from the previous year where A Bed for Every Child provided 8 bed frames and mattresses to students in need. Health Services partners with MTC Otero County Prison Facility whose inmates manufacture bed frames from wood collected from delivery pallets. In addition to the Otero County Prison System, local individuals, businesses, community organizations, and churches have donated both money and items such as pillows to ensure children have access to a comfortable and safe place to sleep. Health Services has also utilized McKinney Vento funding to provide our most vulnerable students with bed frames, bedding, and mattresses as the need exceeds item donations.

One of the most innovative programs that this team launched is the Telehealth program. Sadly, this proactive and innovative program was probably the most misunderstood and received unjust criticism early on from those propagating misinformation, rumors and innuendos to score political points.

The TeleHealth program is designed to keep healthy kids at school. This prevents a parent or legal guardian from having to pick up their child and miss work in order to take a child to urgent care that could have otherwise been left at school for the remainder of the day. This program also provides a convenient medical care service for those that need to be seen by a medical provider.

The student can now see a medical provider through the convenience and use of TeleHealth machines in the safety of the nurse’s office without unnecessary exposure to genuinely unhealthy people at an in-person urgent care center. Telehealth provides equal access to medical care for all students by removing barriers of transportation concerns. Families also have the opportunity to meet with the social worker to apply for Medicaid as needed.

Telehealth Equipment includes medical tools:

A stethoscope (medical provider can hear breath sounds and heart through their computer
Dermascope (medical provider can close up view of skin rashes, injuries, or throat and take pictures)
Vital signs machine (provider can access bp/temp/heart rate/O2 sats
Otoscope (provider can see amplified view of inner ear/or nose on computer screen)

The staff at Alamogordo Public Schools Tiger Closet and Tiger Care center are passionate, caring and concerned professionals that take their job very serious but exude pride in their accomplishments to date and are passionate about the students in their care.
Rather a family needs a birthday kit to make a birthday cake that they may otherwise struggle to afford, to providing showers, laundry facilities, health care or bedding, the Tiger Care Team is there and has the network of collaborative partnerships to help students in need or crises to overcome and succeed. This is a team that cares!

At 2nd Life Media and Alamogordo Town News we appreciate the time and the breadth of information provided to us. After this education, we certainly see the need for this program and celebrate the individuals making it happen! Each demonstrates Alamogordo Pride and Tiger Pride as an example for the community.