What are School-Based Health Centers?
- School-Based Health Centers are comprehensive health centers located within the schools. They provide no-cost primary care services to NYC public school students, including physical exams, immunizations, mental health services, dental care, and more!
- School-Based Health Centers have been providing primary care to students in NYC schools for over 35 years. They help students manage their illnesses during the school day. Because of the location, School Based Health Center are an easy health care option for busy students with busy parents who cannot always make it to their doctor’s office.
- It’s been proven that School-Based Health Centers lower school absences and parents’ time away from work! They also lower the chance of an emergency room or hospital visit. If your child has a chronic illness, or suddenly gets sick, a School-Based Health Center at your school can assist your child with care.
- School-Based Health Centers are run by local hospitals, and community health centers. The NY State Department of Health and NYC Department of Health oversee all School-Based Health Centers to make sure that they are providing excellent care to the students.
- Did you know that over 317 schools in NYC have School-Based Health Centers? Check the list of all School-Based Health Centers in NYC to see if your child’s school has one.
Staffing and Services Provided
Your School-Based Health Center is staffed with a team of health care professionals. The team may include a physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, mental health professional, social worker, medical assistant, and health educators. Please know that your child can use the School-Based Health Center and see their other doctors as well. Enrolling your child in their School-Based Health Center does not change your child's insurance, does not change your child's primary doctor, and does not affect the number of times your child can see their primary doctor. Your School-Based Health Center can serve as your child’s primary care doctor, if your child currently does not have one.
Your School-Based Health Center offers scheduled and walk-in student health services when schools are open. It also has a 24-hour telephone service to respond to your concerns. Call it if any problems arise when your School-Based Health Center is closed.
School-Based Health Centers provide many services for the students, click here to learn more
- Primary care services:
- Physical exams (including for sports, working papers, and new admissions)
- Vaccinations
- Medications and prescriptions
- Laboratory tests
- Screening for vision, asthma, and other medical conditions
- Treatment for acute and chronic conditions
- Health education
- Mental health counseling and treatment (including crisis intervention)
- First aid care to all students attending school in the building
- Emergency care to anyone in need in the school building
- Dental services at select School-Based Health Center sites
- Age-appropriate reproductive health services for adolescents
Note: School-Based Health Centers encourage parental involvement in a student’s use of reproductive health services. However, as per NY State law, minors are legally allowed to consent to their own care for reproductive health services, including pregnancy prevention, prenatal care, and testing for and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
Enroll your Child in a School-Based Health Center
To enroll your child in a School-Based Health Center, sign a Parental Consent Form. You can get the form at the School-Based Health Center in your child’s school. School Based Health Centers can only provide full health care services for students who are enrolled.
School-Based Health Centers provide medical care to students regardless of insurance or immigration status. They do not bill students or parents for the care they receive. However, they do bill Medicaid and private insurances. It is important for parents to provide the School-Based Health Center with insurance information when they enroll their child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my child required to enroll in the School-Based Health Center?
No, your child is not required to enroll. However, it is strongly encouraged so that they can have access to comprehensive health care services including physical exams, treatment of illnesses, and prescription of medications.
If your child is not enrolled, the School-Based Health Center can only provide first aid, emergency care, vaccinations (with parental permission), and those services for which minors can consent to their own treatment.
How can I enroll my child in the School-Based Health Center?
To enroll your child, you should complete and return the Parental Consent Form to your School-Based Health Center. The form is available at your child’s school.
What is the cost?
There is no out of pocket cost to you for the services provided by the School Based Health Center.
Does a student need to have health insurance to be seen at the School-Based Health Center?
School-Based Health Centers provide care to students whether or not they have insurance. If the student has Medicaid, or other insurance, it is important to inform the School-Based Health Center so that they will be able to bill for the services.
Every child in New York can get health insurance, even if they are undocumented immigrants. If your child is not insured, the School-Based Health Center can connect you with a Public Health Insurance enroller.
If my child goes to the School-Based Health Center, will this count toward my yearly number of doctor visits?
No. Medicaid allows children who have a primary care provider outside of school to be seen at School-Based Health Centers without any impact to the care they get from their doctor.
If there is no cost, why do you need my child’s insurance information?
School-Based Health Centers can bill insurances for many of the services they provide. They will provide care at no cost to the parent, but they ask for insurance information to find out if insurance can be billed for any services. School-Based Health Centers rely on Medicaid billing for funding. This allows them to keep caring for your child.
What if my child already has a doctor?
If your child already has a doctor, then the School Based Health Center staff will work only add to the care that your child’s doctor provides. If needed, the School-Based Health Center staff will talk to your child’s doctor to make sure your child gets the best care both in and out of school.
My child is an undocumented immigrant. Can they still be seen at the School-Based Health Center?
Yes. Immigration status does not keep a student from access to care at the School-Based Health Center. The School-Based Health Center staff will not ask about your child’s status.
My child does not have a Social Security Number. Can they still be seen at the School-Based Health Center?
Yes. The health care providers at the School-Based Health Center might ask for your child’s Social Security Number to check if they have Medicaid. However, this is not needed to access care at the School-Based Health Center.
Can my child go to a School-Based Health Center at another school?
In most cases, no. School-Based Health Centers are not allowed to provide care to anyone that is not registered at that school. Sometimes the agency that sponsors the School-Based Health Center can direct family members to their central location or other clinics for care.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of School Health Adolescent Health Unit at SchoolHealthCenter@health.nyc.gov.