I am honored to be selected to be on the board for OSBHA, and was invited to participate in my first meeting this week! One small concrete step towards how I can develop and learn about the practical intersection of education and wellness! I’m looking forward to serving with a motivational team and promote School Based Health Centers (SBHC).
As so much in life, what seems like such an obviously and intuitively good idea to me isn’t accepted in some communities. Places with a strong aversion to sexual education have rejected a SBHC unless they don’t provide condoms! Or, a local pediatrics clinic put up a fuss at the potential loss of clients if they were seen at the SBHC. My hope is that I can learn how to address concerns like these and find a shared purpose in supporting our young learners.
Info from: SBHC 101
SBHCs: The Evidence Base
• use of primary care, inappropriate emergency room use
• Greater than 50% reduction in asthmarelated emergency room visits for students enrolled in NYC SBHCs
• $3 million savings in asthmarelated hospitalization costs for students enrolled in NYC SBHCs
access for hard-toreach populations – esp minorities and males
• Adolescents were 10-21 times more likely to come to a SBHC for mental health services than a CHC or HMO.
• decreased absenteeism and tardiness
•Improved attendance in GPA over time
•Improvedacademic expectations, school engagement, and safety and respect