Oral

Students perform better when they show up for class, healthy and ready to learn. School-based health centers (SBHCs) bring the doctor's office to the school so students avoid health-related absences and get support to succeed in the classroom. SBHCs may vary based on community need and resources. Some communities rely on mobile health centers, a type of SBHC with a traveling health care team that rotates from school to school. But all SBHCs share common characteristics: They are located in schools or on school grounds; work cooperatively within the school to become an integral part of the school; provide a comprehensive range of services that meet the specific physical and behavioral health needs of young people in the community; employ a multidisciplinary health and mental health team of providers to care; provide clinical services through a qualified health providers; require parental consent for children to receive the full scope of services; and have a community advisory board. This session will begin with evaluation findings from a coalition of California SBHCs. Next we will discuss evidence-based behavioral health screenings as are mandated for publicly insured children in Massachusetts. The potential savings attributable to SBHCs will be next discussed, based on the experience in Cincinnati OH. The next presentation addresses strategies to improve access to mental health services in rural SBHCs, focusing on telepsychiatry. Finally, the impact of the high prevalence of childhood asthma on schools will be discussed

Session Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be better able to: • Understand effective process and outcome evaluation methodologies • Discuss the role of school-based health centers in mental health screening for children and youth • Understand the contribution of SBHCs to overall service utilization and Medicaid costs • Describe the role of school-based clinics and telemedicine in addressing disparities in health • Define how asthma affects school attendance and achievement

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing