5141.29 - Student Based Health Clinic

Policy 5141.29

Students

Student Health Services

School Based Health Clinic 


The Newtown Board of Education (Board) endorses the placement of a School Based Health Clinic (SBHC) in some District schools. The SBHC model of health care is comprised of on-school site health care delivery by an interdisciplinary team of health professionals which can include primary care and mental health clinicians. The staff, consisting of a nurse practitioner, clinical social worker and medical assistant, shall work in cooperation with the school staff and community providers.

The mission of the SBHC is to promote the wellbeing and development of children and their families by giving priority to the unmet needs of children lacking physical, emotional, and intellectual care and nurturing. (Alternate: The mission of the SBHC is to help students learn about health practices that promote their wellbeing through an emphasis on prevention and early identification and treatment of physical and mental health conditions.

The placement of a school based health center in the middle school offers the convenience of having adolescents receive health care at the school, eliminating barriers to such care as transportation, and the lack of available or convenient appointments. The Board supports the goal of the SBHC to provide the health care that allows the child/adolescent to maximize their school experience. The SBHC, licensed by the Department of Public Health, is not the same as the school nurse’s office. However, the SBHC staff and school nurse will work together to provide coordinated, comprehensive health services to students.

The School Based Health Center at Newtown Middle School: 

•    Is a fully licensed primary care facility providing a range of physical and mental health services, located within the school;
•    Combines medical care and counseling along with  health education and reinforcement of  a healthy lifestyle;
•    Provides additional services that work in collaboration with  doctors and mental health  providers in the community and is not  intended to  replace the family’s primary care provider; 
•    Directs it services at, but not limited to, students who do not have access to a family doctor or whose families have little  or no health  insurance; and
•    Provides services at no out-of-pocket costs to the family.

The medical and mental health services provided at the SBHC shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

•    Diagnosis  and treatment  of acute  and chronic illnesses;
•    Physical examinations;

•    Immunizations;
•    Health education (nutrition, fitness) including  presentation to classes
•    Individual, group and family counseling (anxiety, depression, peer and family relationships, academic issues, behavioral problems, eating disorders etc.)

In order to access the services of the SBHC, the student’s parent/guardian must sign the School Based Health Centers Permission Form (Form #2) and complete the Medical History form (Form #3). Services will not be provided to students unless these requirements are fulfilled. All students enrolled at the school site may use the SBHC regardless of income or health care coverage.

The confidentiality of all health information that identifies students and the treatment and services provide to them shall be maintained separately from academic records.  School Staff shall not have access to medical records of students maintained at the SBHC unless written permission is given by a student’s parent or legal guardian. (See Form #1-Notice of Privacy Practices)

(cf. 5125.11 - Health/Medical Records HIPAA)
(cf. 5141 – Student Health Services)
(cf. 5141.21 – Administering Medication)
(cf. 5141.22 - Communicable/Infectious Diseases)
(cf. 5141.25 – Students with Special Health Care Needs/Food Allergy)
(cf. 5141.3 - Health Assessments and School Programs)
(cf. 5141.31 - Physical Examination for School Programs)
(cf. 5141.33 – Health Records)
(cf. 5141.4 - Child Abuse and Neglect)
(cf. 5141.5 - Suicide Prevention)
(cf. 6142.1 - Family Life and Sex Education)

Legal Reference:    Connecticut General Statutes
10-203 Sanitation.
10-204a Required immunizations.
10-204c Immunity from liability
10-205 Appointment of school medical advisors.
10-206 Health assessments, as amended by PA 07-58 and PA 11-179.
10-206a Free health assessments.
10-207 Duties of medical advisers, as amended by P.A. 12-198.
10-208 Exemption from examination or treatment.
10-209 Records not to be public. 
10-210 Notice of disease to be given parent or guardian.
10-212 School nurses and nurse practitioners.
10-212a Administration of medicines by school personnel.
10-214 Vision, audiometric and postural screening: When required; notification of parents re defects; record of 10 217a Health services for
children in private nonprofit schools. Payments from the state, towns in which children reside and private nonprofit schools.
19a-630 (10) Definitions. “Health Care Facilities”
38a-472e Health insurer. Requirements regarding offer to contract with a school-based health care center.
Department of Public Health, Public Health Code – 10-204a-2a, 10-204a-3a and 10-204a-4
Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act, as amended, added by section 513 of P.L. 93-568, codified at 20 U.S.C. 1232g).
42 U.S.C. 1320d-1320d-8, P.L. 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)


Policy adopted:  July 30, 2015                      
 NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Newtown, Connecticut

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCESS THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH FORMS PLEASE CLICK ON THE PDF ICON A THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
Inspiring Each Student to Excel

3 Primrose St., Newtown, CT 06470
Phone: 203-426-7600