School Based Health Centers

As part of National SBHC Awareness Month, Nat Holmes has provided a brief history and background on CHC’s School Based Health Centers.

Community Health Center’s first School Based Health Center, the Rita Hayes Wellness Center, was started in nearly two decades ago in April, 1993 at the Macdonough Elementary School in Middletown, CT.   CHC went on to open the Woodrow Wilson School Based Health Center in 1995 at Wilson Middle School and at Keigwin Middle School in 2000.

Over the last 12 years CHC’s School Based Health Center programs have expanded their services to many new communities statewide.  We now have 40 School Based Health Center’s across the state in cities such as:  New Britain, Meriden, New London, Stamford, Enfield, and East Windsor.  Our expansion continues to grow at a fast pace as more communities approach us about opening new School Based Health Centers.  When you include mobile dental and other locations, CHC is in over 200 different sites.

School Based Health Centers are a great investment for the communities they serve.  They support students, schools, parents and the greater community.   School Based Health Centers’ keep students in school, parents at work, and reduce the number of doctor/hospital visits due to access to Medical, Mental Health, and Dental services in the schools.

The medical services available at School Based Health Centers include routine checkups and physical exams, treatment of acute injuries and illness, nutrition counseling, health education, immunizations, referral and follow-up for specialty care, prescriptions and dispensing of medications.   The dental services include routine cleaning, fluoride treatment, x-rays, sealants and referrals for other treatment if necessary.  School Based Health Centers also provide mental health services which include assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of social and emotional problems, individual, family, and group counseling, risk reduction and early intervention services and outreach and advocacy services.

In order for students to use the School Based Health Center services they must have their parents/guardian fill out an enrollment form.  If they are 18 or older they can fill out the form on their own.  It is important to note that we are not here to replace your own doctor but to provide supplemental care while your child is in school.