ADVOCACYRESOURCESPOLICY STATEMENTSACTION CENTERLEGISLATION

POLICY STATEMENTS

•  Medicaid and School-Based Health Centers- Medicaid is a critical source of funding for SBHCs and is a key component towards their long-term fiscal stability.  Yet, barriers to Medicaid reimbursement exist for too many SBHCs, and this important source of revenue is often not fully realized.
  
  
• Role of Community in Defining Scope of Services - What services will be provided in any individual SBHC is determined through a collaborative process that includes the health care provider agency, the school district and the community.
  
  
• The School Nurse/School-Based Health Center Partnership - School nurses and SBHC staff share an important mission: protecting and advancing the health and well-being of our nation’s school-aged children. Although multiple health professionals in a school setting may have distinctive and complementary functions, funding, and accountability, their objectives are met effectively and efficiently through collaboration.
  
  
• Definition of School-Based Health Center - Seven key components of SBHCs document a standard of care, nationwide.
  
  
• Documentation of the Relationship Between School-Based Health Centers and the Academic Accomplishments of Students- Current national educational policies, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, are increasingly exerting pressure upon schools to document improvements in student achievement.  With increasing competition for limited school resources, the continued vitality and viability of school programs, such as SBHCs, may depend upon their ability to demonstrate their contribution toward academic success.
  
  
• Interdisciplinary Care - The purpose of this policy statement is to promote interdisciplinary practice within SBHCs and to confirm that mutual respect and coordination of care between SBHC staff and other health professionals practicing in schools, including nurses, nutritionists, as well as mental health and other counseling professionals are essential to the provision of health care in schools.
  
  
• Adolescents' Access to Health Care - Numerous evaluations have shown SBHCs to achieve marked improvements in adolescent health care access when compared with adolescent utilization in other settings. This is especially true for important services delivered on site, such as family planning, screening and counseling on sexually transmitted diseases, mental health, and substance abuse services.
  
  
• The Role of SBHCs in Improving Health Inequities and Reducing Health Disparities - Access to culturally competent, high quality, first-contact primary care through school-based health centers is an effective way to reduce health inequities and, therefore, improve health outcomes for socially disadvantaged children and adolescents.