Much attention has been focused on the importance of providing physical and mental health services to students in educational environments in recent years; this was true before the COVID-19 pandemic and is even more pertinent now. Millions of students receive school-based health services, and for many students, schools are their first and only option to receive health care. At least 70% of students who access mental health services begin doing so in a school-based setting. State policymakers have a lot to consider in this policy area, including funding, workforce needs and coordination of efforts across agencies.
State leaders are not only enabling health services to be offered in schools but working to ensure equitable access to those services for students who may otherwise struggle to receive them. This Policy Brief outlines how some states have been using school-based health services in K-12 environments — particularly through the school-based health center (SBHC) and community school models — to pursue equitable access to both physical and mental health services for all students. (author introduction)