School-Based Health Center

Providence Medical Group – School-Based Health Center

General Information

Oregon's School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are a unique healthcare model in which comprehensive physical, mental, and preventive health services are provided to youth and adolescents in a school setting. The school-based health center model is governed and credentialed by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and designed as a community partnership to better serve Newberg Public Schools students and staff. In the fall of 2022, all students will have access to a variety of health services on campus provided by Providence and Yamhill County Mental Health, supported by Newberg Public Schools (NPS).

History

Providence and our community partner organizations have been supporting the behavioral health needs of students at Newberg High School since the spring of 2017 by providing direct access to care for students in crisis. In the fall of 2019, Providence officially partnered with Newberg Public Schools and others to open the Newberg High School Wellness Center. Much of this work was funded by the Austin Family Foundation and other charitable partners in our community. The center provided vital services for students and families to access social support, therapists, and other free community resources. Since then, additional grants from local foundations and a school district bond for $1.2 million in 2021 passed to support opening a full school-based health center. An additional planning grant was also awarded from the Oregon Health Authority.

Future

After much discernment, Providence agreed to accept the contract as medical sponsor for the Newberg Public Schools Health Clinic. This initiated conversations of what the future of the health clinic on Newberg High School campus, credentialed through OHA, would be. Going forward, Providence, Yamhill County Mental Health, and Newberg Public Schools will be under one roof operating as the new health center on the high school campus.

Providence will help provide physical health services such as sports and wellness physicals, vaccines, testing, health education and preventative health, care for depression and anxiety, treatment for falls including concussions, sprains, and sutures.

Mild to moderate behavioral health services will be provided by Providence and Yamhill County Public Health for such things as depression, anxiety, mood, and eating disorders, risk assessments, diagnostic clarification and consultation, healthy lifestyle, bridging care to higher levels of service, drug and alcohol support, and tobacco cessation.

Outreach coordination and the resource room services will be supported by Providence outreach specialists and parent volunteers to help with such things as financial support, food insecurity, connection to medical care, transportation support, connection to safe housing, personal hygiene products, clothing, and healthy snacks.

District medical services will continue in the following areas provided by the school nursing staff; medication distribution, first aid care, basic health assessments, chronic condition management, assistance in evaluation of special services, education of infection prevention, and concussion protocol and planning. School district counseling staff will continue to provide academic support and planning, entry to therapy services, personal and social support, peer mediation, and support for parents for service navigation.

We are confident that by working together with the goal of increasing access and support for the youth of our community, that we will see healthier and engaged students prosper as they navigate through high school and leave with a solid foundation for the future.

School-Based Health Center FAQs

What is the school-based health center model? (Source: Oregon Health Authority)

• School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are a vital community tool with a youth-centered model that supports young people’s health and well-being. Oregon SBHCs are in schools or on school grounds and provide medical care, behavioral health services and, often, dental services. Because of these easily accessible services, school-aged youth have an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
• SBHCs are medical clinics that offer a full range of physical, behavioral and preventive health services. SBHCs offer services to all students in a convenient and youth-centered environment, regardless of ability to pay. SBHCs provide easy access to health care. SBHCs reduce barriers such as cost, transportation and concerns about confidentiality that keep parents and students from seeking the health services students need.
• Each SBHC is staffed by a primary care professional who may be a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant, other medical or mental health professionals and support staff, such as a receptionist. The centers are comfortable and accessible to encourage youth to either make an appointment to come in or to drop by when they need medical attention and/or want to learn more about health issues.
• SBHCs have existed in Oregon since 1986. They succeed through public-private partnerships among the Oregon Public Health Division, school districts, local public health authorities, health care providers, parents, students, and community members.

What are the goals of SBHCs?

• Improve access to affordable quality primary care and mental health services for school-aged youth
• Engage safe adults and families in healthcare of youth
• Provide patient-centered care for all students, regardless of insurance status
• Reduce costs related to unnecessary hospital stays and use of emergency rooms
• Improve educational outcomes because healthy kids learn better
• Save parents time by reducing missed work hours

Who are SBHC clients/patients?

• NPS youth and staff
• Services are available to students regardless of their ability to pay, insurance status, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and/or gender expression/presentation, immigration status, sexual orientation, disability or marital status.
• SBHCs are located on school grounds and are open and operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. As a result, students are back in class faster than if they had sought health care in a non-SBHC setting. Additionally, parents do not need to take time off work in order to transport their child to the doctor. The school-based health center at Newberg High School serves as a youth-centered model that supports the physical, mental, and emotional health of students.

What services are provided and who provides them?

• Physical health services provided by Providence include such things as sports and wellness physicals, vaccines, testing, health education and preventative health, depression, and anxiety, care for falls like concussions, sprains and sutures.
• Behavioral health (mild to moderate) provided by Providence and Yamhill County include support for depression, anxiety, mood and eating disorders, risk assessments, diagnostic clarification and consultation, healthy lifestyle, bridging care to higher levels of service, drug and alcohol support, and tobacco cessation.
• Outreach coordination/resource room services provided by Providence help with financial support, food insecurity, connection to medical care, transportation support, connection to safe housing, personal hygiene products, clothing and healthy snacks.
• School nurse services provided by the school district include medical distribution, first aid care, basic health assessments, chronic condition management, assistance in evaluation of special services, education of infection prevention, and concussion protocol and plan.
• School counselors provide academic support and planning, entry to therapy services, personal and social support, peer mediation, and support for parents for service navigation.

What services are NOT provided and referred to outside providers?

• Services not provided that are referred to community providers include: contraceptive

administration, hearing screenings, medical specialties, prenatal care, complex psychiatric care,

gender-affirming hormone therapy, threat assessments, and dispensing of medications.

What will happen if a youth attempts to access services not provided?

• Consistent with practices within a Providence Medical Group clinic, young people will be offered a safe and supportive space. Our team of providers will encourage family engagement to discuss and support health care goals, which may include a referral to an alternative provider to support their care needs.

What is the policy for parent/guardian involvement?

• All students enrolled in the Newberg Public Schools can receive care at the SBHC. Providence will adhere to all Oregon State Statutes around access to care per completed opt-in form.

• Exceptions to the opt-in form will comply with ORS 109.640, and ORS 109.675. If an exception occurs, the student will be strongly encouraged to contact their family to consent for future services.
• For patients under 15 years, parental consent will be required for medical care, except in the cases of communicable diseases (including STDs), mental health issues, family planning, and drug and alcohol treatment. (See statutes above)
• For patients older than 14 years, parental consent is not required to initiate mental health treatment. (See statutes above)
• For an underage patient’s consent, parents will be required to consent for services to be provided. In any circumstances that a child needs to be transported to the center from another NPS site, a parent will also be required to consent.

Who oversees the health center and who credentials it?

• The health center is operated by Newberg Public Schools in partnership with Providence Medical Group and Yamhill County.
• The Oregon Health Authority credentials the clinic space and processes.

How can I learn more about the health center?

• Call 971-231-5855.