Shiloh Academy Wellness Policy

Introduction

Shiloh Academy and Shiloh House share a mission to offer “youth and families support and services to overcome challenges, enhancing their success in the community.” The educational and administrative teams at Shiloh House recognize that a holistic approach to healing requires providing services to meet the mental, emotional, and physical needs of youth in our programs. This wellness policy outlines how physical wellness is promoted at Shiloh Academy and within Shiloh House residential programs.

Goals

Shiloh Academy promotes nutrition by providing free lunch to students. Food options follow USDA standards, and consideration is given for medical needs or religious practice. Shiloh House programs that participate in USDA programs offer after school snack options that are nutritious, within USDA guidelines, and typically include fruit. Specific menus posted and followed by employees. Menus are approved by a licensed nutritionist and remain on file with the Food Service Department. Meals include a main dish containing a meat/meat alternative; a side dish which may be vegetable, fruit, or grain; and a beverage, typically milk. Special accommodations are available to youth with dietary restrictions due to medical conditions or religious practices.

Shiloh Academy students participate in physical education classes and Shiloh House residential programs provide additional recreational opportunities with therapeutic goals. Cultural activities are often designed to explore the connection between food and culture, and healthy choices are encouraged in those activities.

All Shiloh House programs encourage personal wellness including hand washing, good hydration habits, and healthy sleep habits. Students and employees are encouraged to drink plenty of water throughout the day. For residential clients, bedtimes are early enough to provide a minimum of 9 hours of rest. Staff and client illness policies outline the precautions required if illness occurs, and the Emergency Preparedness Plan details how administrators will respond in the event of an epidemic or pandemic emergency.

Food Items Not Prepared On-Site

Marketed Food items:

To provide consistency in nutritional practices, and promote good mental and behavioral health, students are no offered food items for sale at Shiloh Academy. Vending machines are not present on school grounds. Food is not used as an incentive or a consequence, as this may disrupt the development of healthy attitudes about food.

Other Foods Provided But Not Sold:

Shiloh Academy focuses on improving the behavioral and mental health of students, and enhancing their educational skills to prepare them for returning to their school district of origin. Shiloh Academy limits the use of dessert items, but those items are included in celebrations such as a discharge or birthday party. During those events, alternatives are provided for students whose medical needs or religious practice prevent them from having a standard dessert item. This promotes inclusion of all students in those activities while recognizing the differing nutritional needs of clients and employees. Portion sizes are guided by USDA recommendations if they are part of breakfast, lunch, or snack. When food items nor prepared by the Food Service Department are provided, the employee receiving the food item or employees serving the food item will father information about ingredients to ensure awareness of any allergen information.

Public Involvement, Public Updates, Policy Leadership, and Evaluation Plans

Initial communication with parents often occurs during the intake process. At that time, parents are asked to share cultural, dietary, and medical information to ensure student/client needs can be met in the most well-rounded way possible. Shiloh House encourages communication between parents, stakeholders, and partners. Surveys are one method of gathering information about services, but additional input from parents and students may be gained through parent/teacher communication, family therapy, IEP meetings, or multidisciplinary team staffing.

Agency policies are updated annually through a collaborative effort with Shiloh House leadership and are reviewed by the chief officers. Policies and strategic plans are reviewed by the governing board. Public updates are shared with stakeholders through mail, email, and social media. The evaluation of policy is a continuous process. Specific policies may be reviewed by the Accreditation, Licensing, and Risk Management Committee; the Trauma Informed Committee; the Training Committee; and members of the Chief Executive Team. Recommendations for updates or changes to policy may be made by any of these entities by emailing licensing@shilohhouse.net.