Over the past 25 years, SBHCs have expanded to 45 States and more than 1,000 centers nationwide. Centers are located primarily in high schools but also are developing in elementary and middle schools. Since 1997, the Midwest has experienced the largest expansion of SBHCs, a 61 percent increase. Services offered at SBHCs include an array of primary medical care, public health, and mental health services, including basic physical exams, age-appropriate screening tests, health education, and treatment of minor illnesses. Mental health services generally include comprehensive individual evaluation, case management, individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, and basic drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services.
Some centers provide family counseling.
A survey of 405 SBHCs in 1996 found that 17 percent of visits to SBHCs were for mental health concerns. Center staff usually includes part-time physicians, nurse practitioners or physician s assistants, nurses, social workers, and mental health providers. Some centers also have health educators and nutritionists. In some centers the school nurse is part of the center staff, while in others he or she is a school employee and coordinates with the center. Data available on mental health providers in schools was reported by school districts, not by SBHCs.