The Alameda County School Health Centers utilize a core model which includes Core Program Areas, Foundational Elements, and Operational Practice. Within this model, the SHCs innovate and adopt best practices for their school population. Our SHCs are hopeful and optimistic places for all youth, where they experience authentic relationships with health providers and develop agency over their own health and lifestyle decisions.
School Health Centers (SHC) primarily serve the student population of the school site where they are located. However, SHCs with a designated community entrance are able to reach beyond the clinic walls to serve a broader youth community with some sites serving a range of youth from 3 to 24 years old.
Healthy Schools and Communities (HSC) has been supporting school health centers since 1996 in partnership with schools, districts, and health providers. Today SHCs are a nationally recognized best practice for improving health care outcomes for young people, and we have 28 SHCs that serve eight school districts across Alameda County. We provide an annual base allocation to the Lead Agency of each SHC—mostly licensed Federally Qualified Health Centers—investing over $9 million annually. Through the Lead Agency’s staffing and partnerships, SHCs provide five core program areas: medical care, dental care, behavioral health care, health education, and youth development opportunities.
The results? We see improved health and education outcomes among youth, especially those most traditionally underserved. Research locally and across the country shows that SHCs help improve students’ academic achievement by keeping students in school, addressing health and mental health needs that can make learning difficult, and building youth leadership. And we see integration between the educators and health providers that increases everyone’s ability to support the success and wellness of students, their families, and staff.
For more information please contact Kale.Jenks@acgov.org