The Role of Wellness Teams in Promoting Health and Wellness Implementation Strategies in Elementary Schools in Chicago

• Published in: The Journal of school health Vol. 93; no. 5; pp. 402 - 410
• Main Authors: Jarpe‐Ratner, Elizabeth, Cleary, Mary, Chriqui, Jamie F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.05.2023; Wiley; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Chicago; Childrens health; Curricula; Discussion groups; Elementary School Students; Elementary schools; Group Discussion; Guides; Health Policy; Health Promotion; Holistic Approach; Humans; implementation strategies; Institutional Characteristics; Integrated Curriculum; Labor Turnover; Leadership; Leadership Role; Policy implementation; Program Implementation; Progress Monitoring; Public Schools; School Districts; school health promotion; School Health Services; school policy implementation; school wellness; Schools; school‐based health; Teams; Teamwork; Urban Schools; Wellness; wellness committees; wellness teams; Illinois (Chicago); Chicago; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; school health promotion; school-based health; school policy implementation; school wellness; wellness committees; wellness teams; implementation strategies
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.13309

ABSTRACT Background Strategies used by wellness teams (WTs) to foster local wellness policy (LWP) implementation have been documented, yet there remains a need to better understand how WTs respond to district‐level LWP requirements, particularly when bundled with additional health‐related policies. This study's goal was to explore how WTs implement Healthy Chicago Public School (CPS), a district‐led initiative focused on both LWP and other health policy implementation in the CPS district, one of the most diverse in the nation. Methods Eleven discussion groups were conducted with WTs in CPS. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded. Results Six overarching strategies used by WTs in working to achieve Healthy CPS include: (1) using district guides and resources to support planning, progress monitoring, and reporting; (2) under the leadership of wellness champions, as required by the district, facilitating engagement among staff, students, and/or families; (3) taking district guidance and adapting and integrating it into their schools' existing structures, curricula, and practices, often taking a holistic approach; (4) fostering linkages in the communities surrounding their schools to supplement internal school capacities; and (5) stewarding resources, time, and staff for sustainability. Implications Strategies for LWP implementation by WTs in urban and diverse schools include planning for staff turnover, integrating health and wellness into existing curricula and structures, and leveraging relationships with the local community. Conclusion WTs can play a critical role in supporting schools in diverse, urban districts to implement district‐level LWP and the plethora of related policies that schools are subject to at the federal, state, and district levels.