Healthy Children, Schools and Communities

 

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SBHC Staff Testimonials

“SBHC services during a pandemic has definitely been a major transition. One, that I think we took it in stride and was able to continue great work through the use of telehealth. Our mental health division was able to transition to telehealth a week and medical shortly after.”​

-Tiffany Watson-Labbate, Behavioral Health Supervisor

SBHC Staff Testimonials

“The SBHC functioned as a family with everyone having their piece of the puzzle to function. The most important thing was to keep the connection between the staff, faculty, students & parents. This was done through regular meetings with the SBHC staff and the school… The pandemic showed the strengths and flexibility of the staff to adapt to the change.”​

-Jeannine Brooks, Nurse Practitioner

SBHC Staff Testimonials

“We’ve been trying to accommodate our kids as much as possible in the safest way possible during the pandemic. Meeting up with the kids and being able to give them a service that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get during this crisis – that was really a highlight for us.”​

-Jalissa Vargas, Nurse and Health Educator

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Latest News & Events

Keep up to date with Alliance Advocacy Alerts and state & national news by signing up for our e-newsletter

 

State DOH/OHIP Announce Plan to Transition SBHCs into Medicaid Managed Care 4/1/25

NYSBHA sends letter to the Governor, Senator Rivera issues press release in opposition of transition plan Friday, September 20th, SBHCs received emails from their DOH program managers with a message from OHIP announcing a plan to transition SBHCs into the State's...

HANYS Spotlight: Bassett Healthcare Network ensures healthcare access for school children

In rural central New York, many children live at or below the poverty level in communities where healthcare is not available. Children are among those least likely to receive routine healthcare and be insured, and most likely to require emergency medical services....

Research Notes: In-School Health Centers Reduce Suspensions

  FutureEd Elena Koshkin Jan 2024 A solid body of research has already established that school-based health centers increase access to care. Recent research has refined that understanding to show the presence of a school-based health center is associated with...

NIH-funded initiative to study health disparities among rural youth in NY: SBHCs a “Promising Solution”

Cornell Chronicle By Kelly Merchan January 9, 2024 Access to healthcare among low-income rural youth stands as a pressing concern in the landscape of public health in rural New York. School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) have emerged as a promising solution to enhance...

Students speak on Gov. Hochul’s efforts to protect mental health of youth

WKBW 7 Buffalo Yoselin Person 1/9/24 BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — During the State of the State address on Tuesday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced initiatives aimed at helping children and teenagers struggling with their mental health. Some measures include establishing...

Montefiore’s Rosy Chhabra Recognized in City & State’s 2023 Responsible 100 List

The 2023 Responsible 100 A selection of selfless New Yorkers serving the common good December 2023 These selfless leaders are among the countless New Yorkers who are quietly toiling to create a better world for others, and each year City & State identifies 100 of...

Rochester Regional Health, Rochester schools pave the way to student wellness with new on-site health centers

A new school-based health center at the Dr. Freddie Thomas Learning Center on Scio Street. Rochester Regional Health teamed up with the Rochester City School District to bring similar centers to several city schools, where kids can receive a wider scope of treatment....

School-based health clinics benefit rural NYS communities – Cornell Chronicle

School-based health clinics benefit rural NYS communities By James Dean, Cornell Chronicle August 15, 2023 In a rural region of upstate New York, students attending schools embedded with nonprofit-run health clinics received more medical care, relied less on urgent...

Health + Hospitals to shutter all its school clinics

Health + Hospitals to shutter all its school clinics BY MAYA KAUFMAN | 08/15/2023 12:30 PM EDT Politico NEW YORK — NYC Health + Hospitals plans to close its network of eight school-based health centers on Aug. 31, pending state approval. The centers are located in...

Children’s Aid NYC National Nurses Month Spotlight: Caitlin Griffin

When Caitlin Griffin started searching for jobs in New York City, she knew she wanted to take her career in a new direction. She started reaching New York City nonprofits and came across Children’s Aid. “I looked at the website,” she said, “and I thought it would be...

Our Mission

Our mission is to create access to comprehensive, high-quality primary care, including medical, mental, oral, and community health services, for all children and youth statewide through SBHCs. The Alliance achieves this by advocating for policies that promote the sustainability of SBHCs; promoting the delivery of high-quality services; raising awareness of the school-based health model; and promoting the growth and expansion of SBHCs. We have been very successful in executing our mission; today, more than 200,000 children in the state have access to school-based health services, and nearly 169,000 are enrolled in their SBHC.

Goals of a School-Based Health Center

 

Support the School

The SBHC is built upon mutual respect and collaboration between the school and the health provider to promote the health and educational success of school-aged children.

Implements Effective Systems

Administrative and clinical systems are designed to support effective delivery of services incorporating accountability mechanisms and performance improvement practices.

Focus on the Student

Services involve students as responsible participants in their health care, encourage the role of parents and other family members, and are accessible, confidential, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate.

Delivers Comprehensive Care

An interdisciplinary team provides access to high quality comprehensive physical and mental health services emphasizing prevention and early intervention.

Support the Community

The SBHC is developed and operates based on continual assessment of local assets and needs.

Advances Health Promotion Activities

he SBHC takes advantage of its location to advance effective health promotion activities to students and community.

Provides Leadership in Adolescent and Child Health

The SBHC model provides unique opportunities to increase expertise in adolescent and child health, and to inform and influence policy and practice.