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Providers and Community Partners

School-Based Health: Expanding Children’s Access to Health Care

Delaware School-Based Health Centers provide primary prevention and early intervention care.

Students on laptops at a School-Based Health Center

What is a School-Based Health Center (SBHC)?

School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) give school-aged youth access to physical, behavioral, and preventive care in school settings.

SBHCs are not a substitute for the student’s primary care provider, but act as a source for referral to outside medical care and as contact points for supportive, comprehensive health services.

Delaware SBHCs serve Delaware’s student populations by:

  • Providing preventive care
  • Detecting signs of emotional stress and psychosocial problems for counseling and/or referral
  • Facilitating students’ use of health care systems by establishing links with primary health care providers
  • Promoting ongoing comprehensive health care for students of all ages
  • Encouraging parents’ involvement in the health of their adolescents
  • Working toward improving the students’ knowledge of the importance of preventive health care
  • Improving (responsible) decision-making about health matters
  • Reducing risk-taking behaviors
  • Developing health-promoting behaviors
  • Providing early detection of chronic conditions and early diagnosis and treatment of minor and acute illnesses and health problems

SBHC Site Map

SBHC Timeline of Implementation

School-Based Health Planning Committee

The School-Based Health Planning Committee ensures School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are responsive to the individual needs of Delaware’s children.

To help SBHCs increase children’s access to health and wellness services, the Committee has 13 goals in its strategic plan.

The plan will be governed by an independent body from public and private sectors, with a completion target date of 2025.

For more information concerning all SBHCs, contact the Division of Public Health School-Based Health Center Central Office.

These 13 strategic goals are to:

  • Create an advisory body to oversee the Delaware SBHC strategic plan and make recommendations.
  • Encourage new sites where the need is greatest.
  • Allow siblings to enroll.
  • Encourage hub-and-spoke model to deliver care.
  • Develop data collection and analysis infrastructure.
  • Establish a base service menu model.
  • Ensure approaches to care are aligned and comprehensive across all SBHC sites.
  • Ensure a continuum of care through collaboration with primary care and other community providers.
  • Ensure telehealth services continue.
  • Increase funding to cover the cost of non-billable services.
  • Increase efficiencies to allow SBHCs to be credentialed as an approved service provider to seek third-party reimbursement.
  • Explore creative solutions with commercial payers.
  • Maximize third-party billing.

Our new School-Based Health Center Strategic Plan is here!

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

FAQs

Learn more about these services that provide physical, behavioral, and preventive care in school settings — including how to find a location in your community.

© 2024. Delaware Division of Public Health.