Health Equity and Rural Education (HERE!) school program
Health Equity and Rural Education (HERE!) Clinical Trial: A Healthcare-Community Partnership Leveraging School-Based Community Health Workers to Improve Student Attendance
NA · University of Kansas Medical Center · NCT06460116
This project will test whether a school-based community health worker program can help rural middle and high school students (grades 6–12) with poor attendance and their families get support for social needs and behavioral health.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 126 (estimated) |
| Ages | 12 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Kansas Medical Center (other) |
| Locations | 1 site (Kansas City, Kansas) |
| Trial ID | NCT06460116 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The HERE! program uses a two-phase, community-engaged approach beginning with a 6-month phase of stakeholder feedback to refine a trauma-informed school-based community health worker (SB-CHW) model. The following 18-month phase is a feasibility pilot implemented in rural schools to test SB-CHW delivery alongside an enhanced usual care condition. At least 38 students (grades 6–12) with chronic poor attendance and their parents/guardians will receive SB-CHW support or enhanced usual care while the study collects data on social determinants of health needs, school-based health center use, behavioral health symptoms, and attendance. The team will also test training, data collection, and implementation procedures in Southeast Kansas schools affiliated with the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Rural students ages 12–18 (grades 6–12) in the Southeast Kansas region with chronic poor attendance (missing 10% or more of school days) and their parents/guardians are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Students with profound intellectual or cognitive disabilities (who are excluded), those with regular attendance, or families living outside Southeast Kansas are unlikely to receive benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve school attendance and connect students and families to needed social and behavioral health services.
How similar studies have performed: Community health worker models have shown promise for linking families to social services and improving some health outcomes, but school-based CHW interventions for improving rural youth attendance are relatively novel with limited prior evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Phase I Stakeholder Interviews (nonintervention): Inclusion Criteria: * A member of the program's Community Advisory Board, including community health workers; * Caregiver of a child ages 12-18 from the Southeast Kansas region; or * Student at least 12 years in age. Phase II Feasibility Pilot- SB-CHW Intervention and Enhanced Usual Care Conditions Inclusion Criteria: * Children ages 12-18 and their parents/guardians from the Southeast Kansas region * Student with or at risk for chronic poor attendance (missing 10% or more of the days that school has been in session at any point in the school year) Exclusion Criteria: * Parents/guardians or youth with profound intellectual/cognitive disability will be excluded.
Where this trial is running
Kansas City, Kansas
- University of Kansas Medical Center — Kansas City, Kansas, United States (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Eve-Lynn Nelson, PhD — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Eve-Lynn Nelson, PhD
- Email: enelson2@kumc.edu
- Phone: (913) 588-6323
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Behavioral Symptoms, Community Health Workers, Social Determinants of Health, Educational Problems