February 2004

Several communities have mentioned, among their list of resources, a school-based health center. Questions have been asked about the role of the centers within a system of care. Here is some information provided by the National Assembly of School-Based Health Care that will provide a context for that system of care discussion .

Approximately 1,500 schools nationwide have school-based health centers. Through these community partnerships, students get their regular primary care and mental health needs met. Many centers provide the only health care that an uninsured child might receive.

Student outcomes speak to the positive impact that these centers have on the school community, such as increased preventive health care, decreased school absenteeism, fewer emergency room visits, reduced time off from work for parents, improved access to mental health services and substance abuse services, reduced health care access disparities, and strengthened community services.

More than 1,000 school-based health centers were surveyed in 2001-2002, and the following information was reported:

• 31% provide primary care services only.
• 42% provide primary care and mental health services.
• 27% provide primary care, mental health, and additional services such as case management, nutritionist, or dental health services.
• 58% are open more than 30 hours per week during school times.
• 65% provide services to patients other than enrolled students, such as family members.
• 69% collect revenue for health center visits from Medicaid, SCHIP, and private insurance.
• 92% ensure staff credentialing and training.

In reference to mental health services, the school-based health centers reported that the following services were used most frequently:

• Referrals (89%)
• Assessment (80%)
• Crisis intervention (78%)
• Screening (77%)
• Grief and loss therapy (67%)
• Brief therapy (67%)
• Conflict resolution (64%)
• Tobacco use counseling (62%)
• Skill building (60%)
• Case management (55%)
• Substance use counseling (55%)
• Mental health diagnosis (51%)
• Medication management (36%)
• Long-term therapy (34%)

You can certainly see the advantages of combined initiatives between school-based health centers and system of care within a community.

When you are bringing collaborative partners to the table, you may want to consider including personnel from these school-based health centers. This could provide a vital link and location for delivering a variety of services within your system of care.

 

For more information on school-based health centers, contact the National Assembly on School Based Health Care at www.nasbhc.org .