First-of-its-kind program will equip every staff member at Phoenix Academy High with information on how to help students in need
September 17, 2019 – Chapel Hill, NC – Following a long history of building relationships with parents and students, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) will equip more than 50 staff members with the Vitals ™ App. The technology fits perfectly into the district’s continued plans to invest in youth, take advantage of cutting-edge technology, provide a safe learning environment for students and give hundreds of parents more “peace of mind.”
The Vitals™ App provides first responders with crucial information about vulnerable individuals, increasing the effectiveness of situational response and vastly expanding the potential for successful and safe resolutions. Vitals™ enrollees, or their family members, voluntarily provide the individualized information in this cutting-edge program revolving around technological innovation.
In Chapel Hill and Carrboro, staff members, including principals, nurses, counselors and School Resource Officers (SROs) will be using the app. The parents of more than 6,000 students in the district’s eight middle and high schools can now register and provide helpful, de-escalating information into the system. In addition, every staff member at Phoenix Academy High School, an alternative high school, will be equipped with Vitals ™.
“Vitals™ will provide us with much needed information, in real-time, to help us serve and support our students compassionately if they’re having a difficult time. More broadly, the app will give us yet another avenue to build relationships and support our parents,” CHCCS Director of Safe Schools Scarlett Steinert explained.
The app is yet another powerful initiative used in a district focused on inclusion. Vitals™ works by equipping first responders with information voluntarily provided by Vitals™ enrollees. Law enforcement, first responders, and now educators and SROs download the Vitals™ First Responder app on their cellphones. The service allows a vulnerable person to register online, then wear a beacon that takes the form of a keychain, necklace, debit card or bracelet. An Android phone can also serve as the beacon. When a Vitals™ user comes within 80 feet of an officer or first responder equipped with the service, the officer will get a notification regarding the person’s diagnosis and how to best interact.
“We are always on the lookout for ways to keep our students safe, and to provide the support necessary to ensure a successful school experience. This app will provide parents with an opportunity to voluntarily upload information that can help us better serve their children,” Superintendent of Schools Pamela Baldwin remarked.
Janeé Harteau, president/CEO of Vitals™ Aware Services, applauds the collaboration that ensures a safe learning environment and builds relationships with the community.
“Making sure schools provide safe and supportive learning spaces is more important than ever. While teachers and staff provide students with the tools to thrive and grow, CHCCS is giving its staff members and SROs the information they need to best serve youth, especially in difficult times. The information in the Vitals™ system will essentially give parents a voice as school employees interact with their children,” Harteau remarked.
Vitals™ Aware Services was launched in August of 2017.
To learn more about Vitals™, go to www.thevitalsapp.com.
