The School-Based Health Center Collaborative

Introduction:

The SBHC Collaborative is a partnership between Education Plus Health (EPH) and the federally qualified health center provider Family Practice & Counseling Network (FPCN) that works to improve student academic outcomes, increase classroom engagement, and decrease absenteeism by optimizing access to comprehensive, high quality health care services. Together, these organizations expand the scope, breadth, and continuity of services offered to students under a federally-support framework for expanded resources overall. The interdisciplinary team within each of our school-based health centers is led by an advanced practice registered nurse practitioner supported by a school nurse, behavioral health counselor, dentist, and community health workers.

Mission:

The Collaborative aims to improve and support student health and academic outcomes by building an innovative and effective School-Based Health Care (SBHC) model. We strive to become a leader among SBHCs as we revolutionize school health services. Our mission-aligned staff innovates and collaborates, building trust and relationships with communication and expertise. Our mission is student-centered and we are setting them up for a lifetime of success with a focus on health equity.

The Collaborative’s Beliefs:

Equitable healthcare is a right
We believe that health care must be delivered in a culturally competent, trauma-informed and compassionate manner. By applying an anti-racist, culturally competent lens when providing healthcare, we can reduce health disparities among the students and communities that we serve. This is the heart of everything we do.

Our service is responsive and informed by our community
We promote input and involvement into the services we provide for responsive, effective and engaging health and enrichment activities. We value and foster diversity and inclusion among our patients. We are agile in our actions and work in partnership with the community.

Students are the centerpiece of all that we do
We are student-centered with a focus on health equity. By revolutionizing school health services, we create a new culture for school-wide health. Our services and activities improve outcomes for both student health and academic performance. Our model for high-quality school-based health centers guides students and their families to make healthy choices for lifelong physical and emotional wellbeing.

Teamwork, trust, and transparency foster healthy integration
We engage in this work together focused on our shared mission. In partnership we are continually building our teams and relationships with transparent and honest conversations. We are flexible, collaborative, adaptive and responsive to diverse populations, environments, and health landscapes. We foster successful collaborations by encouraging creativity amongst each other and not letting analysis of paralysis hold back our important efforts together.