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Finding time to get your child vaccinated can sometimes feel impossible. That's where school-based health centers (SBHCs) come in. SBHCs provide on-campus vaccination, along with a host of other services. All services are free.
Learn about SBHCs
Just like a typical primary care clinic, SBHCs provide a range of services.
Students can get:
- all vaccines required for school
- vaccines that aren't required but are strongly recommended, like HPV and meningococcal
- well child exams
- chronic disease management (for example, asthma)
- sports physicals
- reproductive health services
- mental health counseling
SBHC staff collaborate with schools to address the broad range of concerns and experiences that affect students' healthy development.
Also, SBHCs place medical, behavioral, dental, and vision care directly in schools so that all young people have equal opportunity to learn and grow. All services are free to students.
Community health agencies operate SBHCs at over 30 elementary, middle, and high schools in King County. Our SBHCs serve over 8,000 students and provide over 40,000 health care visits each year.
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Does your child attend a school with a SBHC?
They can enroll. -
Does your child attend a school in the Seattle Public Schools district?
You can enroll your child in any Seattle SBHC. Just choose a nearby school with a SBHC and submit registration paperwork.
If it's tough to find time to get your child to the doctor's office for immunizations, SBHCs are a free and simple alternative.
- SBHCs remove several common barriers to health care, making it easy for students to access care efficiently, effectively, and seamlessly.
- You don't have to take time off from work and potentially lose wages, and your child doesn't have to miss class to travel to off-site appointments. Instead, your child can quickly get back to class and focus on learning.
In addition to offering immunizations and addressing other physical and mental health concerns, SBHCs also promote good health across the lifespan. They offer nutrition education, promote supportive relationships, and reinforce positive self-images.
SBHCs do not replace the role of primary care clinics for students who already have access to health care. SBHCs can, however, serve as a safety net for students who have limited or no insurance, need language help or culture-specific care they can't find elsewhere, or who face other barriers to care.
All services at SBHCs are free to students. Some SBHCs bill insurance for reimbursement, but the cost is never passed on to clients or family members.
SBHCs are typically staffed by medical providers (examples include ARNPs and PAs), licensed mental health professionals, and clinic coordinators. Additional staff may include patient navigators, health educators, oral health professionals, and others.
SBHCs complement the work of school nurses by providing a readily accessible referral site for students who are without a medical home or in need of more comprehensive services such as primary, mental health, oral, or vision care.
In schools with a SBHC onsite, registration forms are typically sent to families in the school's welcome packet at the start of the school year. Some SBHCs also post registration forms on their website. If you don't receive a form or misplace your copy, just call or visit your child's SBHC to request a new one.
If your child attends a Seattle school without a SBHC, they can enroll in a SBHC at another Seattle school.