18 March 2014 By Rafael Otto
Tobias Rubel is the communications director for OSBHA's Statewide Youth Advisory Council. He recently shared this speech at SBHC Awareness Day in Salem on February 26, 2014. Learn more about Tobias and the Statewide Youth Advisory Council.
Who in here is an expert in law? Anyone? No? Okay great. Anyone in here a health care professional? No? Alright. But who in here has been positively impacted by the healthcare provided by health centers in schools? There we go. I ask because you don’t have to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or a politician to make a change in your community. Every person in this room is making a positive change simply be coming here today. Every one of you has the merit to speak to your representative about your opinions; it is your constitutional right!
3 March 2014 By Rafael Otto
Awareness Day, held on February 26 at the Oregon state capitol, gathered more than 60 advocates to highlight the impact of school-based health services on student health and academic achievement. The event provided an opportunity for young people to visit the capitol, meet their legislators, and link their personal stories to the importance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in communities around the state.
Statewide Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) members offered their personal stories about how SBHCs have impacted their experiences accessing and using school-based health services. Tobias Rubel, SYAC communications director recognized that the experience of sitting down to speak with a legislator could be stressful for some students. His advice was for students to focus on the power of their story. "You should go in there and tell them about how school-based health care benefits you, the student."
