School-Based Health Centers

What Are School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs)?

SBHCs are not the same as your school’s traditional nurse’s office. Instead, they function like full-service medical clinics inside schools, often described as a child’s “medical home.” Services can include:

• Primary care (sick visits, chronic disease management)
• Screenings & risk assessments (e.g., Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic & Treatment [EPSDT])
• Sexual & reproductive health services
• Dental & vision care
• Mental, behavioral & social-emotional health counseling

“School-based health centers have become one of the fastest-growing trends in education–health partnerships in the U.S.” — National Association of SBHCs

Key facts:

• Providers are often third-party organizations, not school staff.
• Services are typically billed to insurance or Medicaid and funded by partnerships & grants.
• Students may be treated during school hours without parents present.

Where Did SBHCs Come From?

SBHCs have existed since the mid-2000s, but were given a jump start in 2022 by $25 million in grant funding from HHS to expand SBHCs across the country. Also in 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act directed Medicaid to expand access to Medicaid services in schools, and to simplify school reimbursement rules to make the claims process easier.

Officially stated goals of SBHCs:

• Increase convenience, equity, and access to care.
• Reduce absenteeism & improve academic performance.
• Overcome parental barriers to vaccination.

Why Parents Are Concerned

Consent & Parental Rights

• Some schools use blanket consent-to-treat forms signed at the start of the year.
• In some states, minor consent laws allow certain treatments without parents being informed.

“Consent to treat should be specific, informed, and ongoing. Blanket permission forms erode parental rights.” — American College of Pediatricians

Unwanted Vaccinations

• Research shows SBHCs increase vaccination rates, especially HPV.
• Vaccines may be administered without parents present or even aware depending on local laws and forms signed.

Expansive Student “Screenings”

Schools monitor students for everything under the sun, identifying “issues” that drive students to the SBHC. Students may be screened for academic, behavioral, emotional, or social “needs.”

For example, Georgia’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) program uses data-driven monitoring to flag students for medical or behavioral health services, often in partnership with SBHC staff.

Oversight, Privacy & Quality Control

• Records may be shared between providers, schools, and other agencies.
• Parents may have limited visibility into what was discussed or administered.

Comparison: School Nurse vs. SBHC

What You Can Do Right Now:
Your Action Checklist

✅ Ask if your school has an SBHC, mobile clinic, or school-linked health program.

✅ Request a list of all providers & services available this year.

✅ Demand written notice before any new provider/program is added.

✅ Do not sign blanket consent forms.

✅ If you already signed, request a copy and limit your consent.

✅ Submit a Non-Consent Form (allowing only emergency first aid if desired).

✅ Teach your child to say no to surveys, screenings, or treatment without your knowledge.

SBHCs are presented as a solution for access to care, but they can also bypass parents, expose kids to unwanted treatments, and collect sensitive data. Informed consent starts with YOU.

Stay alert, stay empowered, and protect your child’s rights.