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/q4Qcj4 r <br />APRIL 2007 <br />Orange County School District School -Based Health Center Initiative <br />Working Together to Improve the Health. & Academic Success of <br />Orange County School District Students . <br />Shirley Carraway, EdD, Superintendent, Orange County School District <br />Rosemary L. Summers, MPH, DrPH, Director, Orange County Health Department <br />Overview: The Orange County School District is exploring the idea of opening a health <br />center in C.W. Stanford Middle School in Hillsborough, NC, as part of its Coordinated <br />School Health Program. This is motivated by an appreciation of the direct link between <br />students' physical health, mental health and academic success. Healthy students have <br />better school attendance, are better learners, and are more academically successful than <br />students who are experiencing physical or psychological health problems. Healthy <br />students have a better chance of graduating from high school and making a smooth <br />transition to a healthy, happy, and productive young adulthood. <br />Potential Benefits to Creating a School -Based Health Center (SBHC). School -Based <br />Health Centers (SBHCs) exist across North Carolina and the nation. These centers are <br />typically created as a coordinated effort to improve students' school attendance, academic <br />achievement, and health -- by providing mental and physical health services and <br />increasing access to health care. Health centers are typically staffed with health <br />professionals that are exquisitely sensitive to the importance of a "holistic" approach to <br />adolescent health. Clinicians have the skills to provide traditional health care, but also <br />routinely screen for a broad range of behaviors and issues that impact adolescent health <br />and well - being. In SBHCs there is a very heavy focus on education and counseling to <br />prevent behaviors that place adolescents at risk of health problems, reducing the risk of <br />health problems among students engaged in problem - behaviors, and recognizing the <br />connection between mental and physical health. <br />Scope of Services: The OCSD does not want to interrupt existing relationships with <br />medical homes. When students already have a ".medical home," SBHCs provide services <br />that are not available in that medical home or when asked. Students who do not have a <br />medical home are encouraged to find one, and some SBHCs develop the capacity to <br />provide medical homes if needed. The OCSD is exploring the idea of developing a <br />SBHC that can provide comprehensive physical and mental health services 'to students <br />with unmet needs, including the capacity to address common mental health and substance <br />use problems, acute illnesses/injuries, sports physicals, and comprehensive <br />developmentally - appropriate preventive health screening and counseling. There may also <br />be a need to assist a student's medical home with chronic disease management (e.g. <br />diabetes, asthma, etc). The district realizes that this may require a phased -in approach. <br />SBHCs will NOT provide condoms, contraception, or drug testing. <br />First Steps? <br />• ASCD Health Schools Community Grant will support us to explore these ideas! <br />• We would like to create a Steering Committee! <br />