ABOUT

Our Mission:

Through advocacy, education, and networking, The CT Association of School Based Health Centers positions SBHCs as leaders in the broader healthcare system for CT's children and adolescents.

History

The first Connecticut comprehensive school-based health center, the Body Shop, was established in 1982. The Body Shop is still in operation, meeting students' health needs attending New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School.

The health center was created in partnership with the New Haven Board of Education, the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Yale-New Haven Hospital Adolescent Medicine Department and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. A few years later, the City of Bridgeport established the first state-funded SBHC.

What is a School-Based Health Center?

Connecticut's School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are comprehensive primary health care facilities licensed as outpatient clinics or as hospital satellites. The SBHCs are located within or on school grounds and serve students in grades pre-K-12. Multi-disciplinary teams of pediatric and adolescent health specialists staff the health centers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, physicians and in some cases, dentists and dental hygienists.

A school-based health center is not the same as the school nurse's office. School nurses and SBHCs work together, and school nurses often refer students to SBHCs because they can treat and resolve student health problems. All SBHC services are confidential. Parents must sign a Parent Permission Form for students to receive benefits. SBHCs can also bill Medicaid, HUSKY A & B, and private commercial health insurance plans for services provided to students covered by these health plans.

SBHC's Mapping Link

Where are all of the School-Based Health Centers located?

School-Based Health Center locations and more Link

CT Behavioral Health Resources

Where are our BH partners located and how can you connect?

CT BH Resource List

Sharing Our Stories Booklet

Real students share their stories about the services they received in their school-based health centers. We produced this beautiful publication in partnership with the 2013 Connecticut Health Leadership Fellows. Learn more about the services school-based health centers provide and students' perspectives.

Advocacy and Legislative Priorities

CASBHCs Legislative Priorities 2023

Advocacy Center

State Legislative Priorities:
  • Expansion of School-Based Health Centers:
    • Continued expansion of comprehensive school-based services to underserved areas of the state
    • Provide mechanisms to remove barriers for parent organizations to open or expand centers, including within areas with lower population density and medical / mental health resources
    • Continued expansion of services within our rural communities where the need for services continues to be high and primarily impacting our children of color
  • Medicaid:
    • Increase in reimbursement rates and expanded service coverage for youth and adolescents
      • including coverage for:
        • suicide risk assessments in schools and in school-based health centers
        • psycho-educational services
        • physical activity and nutrition counseling services
        • all screenings for social determinants of health including preventative counseling for positive screening outcomes
        • dental screenings by school-based medical providers
  • Equity amongst under and un-insured
    • Support increased coverage or reimbursement for services provided to students who are uninsured or under insured and reduce the gaps for distinct groups of children including:
      • undocumented children
      • children covered by large deductible and copay plans
  • Reimbursement rate equity
    • Establish rate equity among our school-based health centers