YEO Policy Books 2015 Policy Book | Page 35

Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Initiative Origin: Department of County Human Services of Multnomah County, Oregon Link: Click here Summary: SUN Community Schools in Multnomah County are full-service neighborhood hubs where the school and partners from across the community come together to make sure students and families have what they need to be successful in school and in life. Talking Points & Important Information: • SUN Community Schools are the school-based service delivery sites for the SUN Service System, a broader system of community-based care and support for children and their families including educational, enrichment, recreational, social, and health services. A more comprehensive list of services can be found here. • A comprehensive community well-being and health center, the community health centers revitalize community members and the local economy. Studies demonstrate that increased funding to health centers creates additional economic stimulus both within the center and beyond. For example, the nearly $2 billion investment to community health centers from the stimulus act generated $3.2 billion in new economic benefits, and in 2009, health centers generated approximately $20 billion in economic activity for their local communities. • Every year, community health centers save the healthcare system $24 billion a year in medical costs while generating $26.5 billion in needed economic activity in economically distressed communities. • By turning the school into a service delivery site targeted towards the enrichment of each and every community member, the SUN Community Schools initiative has decreased stigmatization associated with seeking specific services and has shifted the paradigm of social services into one of community good. 2015 POLICY BOOK LOCAL INTRO LEVEL PAGE 35