School-Based Health Centers

Investment Details

K-12 School Health investments provide students with direct support services and are an important bridge between health and education that promotes school attendance and improved academic performance. Research has consistently demonstrated that physical and mental health concerns are barriers to learning and K-12 School Health investments are designed to promote school attendance, academic performance, and on-time graduation. SBHCs use evidence-based practices, exercise cultural responsiveness and gender competency, and provide a source of quality health care for students that might not otherwise have access to services.

Access to SBHCs is available for all Seattle Public Schools students regardless of the presence of an SBHC on their school campus. While services are universally accessible to all SPS students, outreach and referrals for services are focused on students with the greatest need such as those experiencing non-academic barriers to learning, students not yet meeting grade-level learning standards, students less likely to access care in the community, and other historically underserved student groups, including students experiencing homelessness and LGBTQ students.

Key elements of SBHCs include:

• Increased access and utilization of preventive care (family planning, well-child exams, and immunizations)
• Comprehensive primary and acute health care assessment, diagnosis, treatment and referral
• Mobile and school-based dental and oral health services
• Age-appropriate reproductive health care
• Sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment
• Mental health screening, counseling, treatment and referral
• School-wide and targeted health education and health promotion
• Information and assistance to eligible students' families about how to access and enroll in health insurance programs
• Intensive interventions to support school success
• Coordination among school-based staff and community partners on student health, academics, and integration with other levy-funded strategies
• Coordination with school nurses and the Seattle School District nursing program
• Access to and participation in a support network advancing professional learning, service delivery, and other systems-level improvements
   

Partnering for Student Health

DEEL partners with Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC) to administer School-Based Health Centers. PHSKC's role includes managing SBHC contracts with healthcare providers, overseeing Request for Application processes, and providing direct services at three SBHCs within Seattle Public Schools (Cleveland, Ingraham, and Rainier Beach high schools).

Partner Spotlight

"Having access to medical, dental, and mental health services in the place where they spend most of their time is incredibly important, especially for students without insurance. Moreover, the wraparound services SBHCs provide give an example of how our health care system should function."
--Katharine Rossitch, DDS Neighborcare Health, Multiple SBHC sites