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

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Webinar Announcement! Dispelling Myths & Misinformation: Providing Culturally Responsive Adolescent Health Care in SBHCs

Dispelling Myths & Misinformation: Providing Culturally Responsive Adolescent Health Care in SBHCs June 18, 2025 3:00pm REGISTER About this Webinar Today's social-media heavy and politically dire environment bombards our children and adolescents with...

School-Based Health Centers and School Attendance in Rural Areas

JAMA Network May 13, 2025 Chris Kjolhede, MD, MPH1; Wendy M. Brunner, PhD2; John W. Sipple, PhD3 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(5):e2510083. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10083 Key Points Question:  Is there an association between...

NYSBHA Press Release on the NYS 2025-2026 Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2025 Contact: Sarah Murphy, sarah.nysbha@gmail.com/ 518-694-3423   STATEMENT APPLAUDING SFY 2026 ENACTED STATE BUDGET - Sarah Murphy, Executive Director, NY School-Based Health Alliance (Albany, NY)- “The New York State School-Based...

Here’s why a New York Medicaid overhaul could jeopardize school health centers

School health clinics provide New York students with vital care. Here’s why a payment overhaul could change that. HEALTHBEAT/ NEW YORK Health Policy By Eliza Fawcett April 28, 2025 For Panagiotis Sotiropoulos, a physician assistant, most days bring nosebleeds, ankle...

Montefiore Opens Its 34th In-School Health Clinic For Bronx Students

New Nursing-Led Model Enables Students with Acute and Chronic Illness to Easily Access Care In Their School Building BRONX, N.Y., May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Montefiore School Health Program (MSHP), the largest and most comprehensive school-based health program in...

NYSBHA SBHC Conference 3-27 & 3/28: SBHCs & The Power of Our Voice!

Thursday March 27 & Friday March 28th Embassy Suites Saratoga Springs  Join us for our annual school-based healthcare education event, SBHCs & The Power of Our Voice! This year’s conference will be an in-person event at the Embassy Suites in the historic and...

Saint Joseph’s Medical Center Celebrates New Health Clinic Opening at Justice Sotomayor School

Yonkers Times News in Yonkers and Around Westchester Front row, from left, Yonkers Board of Education President Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio; City Council Member Deana Robinson; City Council Member Tasha Diaz; Mayor Mike Spano; Saint Joseph’s Medical Center President...

Commentary: This administrative change would hurt children’s health care access

Times Union Opinion School-based health centers shouldn't move to Medicaid managed care. It will hurt care and increase costs. By Amy Paulin and Gustavo Rivera March 12, 2025 Credit: Getty Images. sturti/Getty Images In less than 30 days, school-based health centers...

Migrant pupils need more targeted mental health support in school, study says

PHYS ORG By University of Exeter | December 2, 2024 A study highlights the need for improved accessibility to school-based mental health support for migrant children, addressing their unique strengths and challenges. Researchers found a lack of targeted interventions...

Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy

MORRIS HEIGHTS HEALTH CENTER By Dr Sophia DeCambre Morriseau | December 16th, 2024 Vaccines are a critical tool for protecting children from serious illnesses like measles, whooping cough, polio, and HPV-related cancers. While these diseases have become less common...

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.