Section ISchool-Based Health Care: Practice Interventions, Outcomes, and Impacts From the Field

Abstract

OVERVIEW The delivery of health care in schools dates back to the days of public health efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis by ensuring that every child received the newly created vaccine against this preventable infectious disease.1 School nurses were also an essential ally of the public school system to care for the sudden onset of illness, provide first aid, follow up on compliance issues, and ensure that infections were contained. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are the next generation of this tradition and provide a broader array of services that constitute primary care, often including mental health services that supplement the school counselor's or social worker's interventions. A critical mass of SBHCs appeared in the 1980s2 and today there are over 2,000 SBHCs in 47 states that serve the K–12 student population with an array of primary health and mental health services including, in some cases, oral health services as well.3 The rationale for this model of care has been predicated on improving access to much needed care for children and adolescents where they spend the majority of their hours. As such, almost 2 million racially and ethnically diverse students receive their health care in schools largely located in urban and rural communities.3 These young people tend to be underserved, uninsured or underinsured, and are often most in need of support and care to complete the school day. This section uncovers the role and impact of school-based health care when responding to the numerous health and social issues faced by students. Its content includes the promising results of both empirical research as well as the descriptive results of evidence- or practice-based interventions.