School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County is honored to receive a $20,000 grant as part of Santa Clara County’s Getting to Zero initiative. Launched by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, The Health Trust and key community partners, Getting to Zero strives for zero HIV infections, zero deaths related to HIV and zero HIV discrimination in Santa Clara County.
As of 2017, there were 3,361 people living with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in the Santa Clara County, with 156 new cases in 2017. The State of California estimates that another 9% of people with HIV are unaware of their infection. While progress to date has helped decrease the number of new infections and improve the health of those living with HIV, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
School Health Clinics will use its Getting to Zero grant to improve how we screen and treat patients for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. With two of our clinics located on high school campuses, many of our patients are teens and young adults who seek candid, reliable information about sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases.
Because teens and young adults are not frequent users of the healthcare system, any clinic visit is an important opportunity to screen for sexually transmitted infection, and provide education that will help them make informed and safe choices about their reproductive health for the rest of their lives.
We are grateful to Santa Clara County for funding that will help us provide better care to our patients and participate in this coordinated effort to eliminate HIV.
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Dedicated to health and healing...
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Blanca Tabares is a woman on the go. As School Health Clinics’ only Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she spends each day of the week at a different clinic, providing counseling and support that helps keep our families afloat. She sees patients of all ages, many struggling with fallout from childhood traumas, displaced lives, and the stress of living on minimum wages in Silicon Valley.
With 10 years at School Health Clinics, she has strong connections to the patients and families she counsels, and finds continued satisfaction in helping them find their way: from coping with depression and anxiety, to addressing challenges with substance use, to helping families find resources that meet the special needs of their children.
She spoke recently about one family she began caring for many years ago when their two boys were struggling in elementary school - one with autism; the other with attention deficit disorder. Like all families, the parents wanted desperately for their children to receive a good education, but the boys were failing in school and the mother did not know how to help them. Blanca connected the mother to the Children’s Health Council, and helped her lobby the school district for better services. She credits this highly motivated mom for tirelessly fighting for her children -- all she needed was a little guidance and encouragement. Blanca has stayed in touch with the family over the years, helping troubleshoot issues as they arise and providing whatever support she can. The boys are thriving in high school now, and well on their way to becoming healthy and productive adults.
Blanca is one of the dozens of skilled and dedicated staff at School Health Clinics who are committed to ensuring that low income families get access to the care they need and deserve. Learn more about employment opportunities at School Health Clinics here.
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