Since 1986, Oregon's School-Based Health Center (SBHC) program has benefited from support by the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Legislature. What began as an initial commitment of $212,000 to partially fund five SBHCs, has grown to a commitment of about $28.5 million to support both physical and mental health services at nearly 90 state certified SBHCs and a team of 9 staff at the SBHC State Program Office (SPO).
SBHCs are required to provide services to all students regardless of the student's ability to pay. Given the gap between available funds from insurance payments and the required services and population to be served, the Oregon Legislature has provided funding to supplement and sustain SBHC services. State funding is intended to supplement other funding sources, both public and private, at the local level.
SBHC Funding
The SBHC SPO has historically provided funds to state certified SBHCs. As outlined in OAR 333-028-0260, funding must be used to support activities related to planning, oversight, maintenance, administration, operation, and delivery of services within one or more SBHC as required by OHA’s SBHC funding formula.
Prior to 2019, SBHC SPO grant funds were exclusively awarded directly to Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs) through the county Financial Assistance Agreements (Program Element 44). Beginning in the 19-21 biennium, the SBHC SPO modified this policy to allow for direct contracting with non-county medical sponsor entities.
LPHAs are given the “right of first refusal” for SBHC contracts with the state. Contract agreements are reviewed with LPHAs each biennium when contracts are renewed, when there is medical sponsor change and when new SBHCs open. LPHAs will have the opportunity to exercise the right of first refusal again in these circumstances.
LPHAs with certified SBHCs can choose to either:
- Manage SPO contracts and directly receive state SBHC funding, or
- Have the SPO contract directly with non-county medical sponsors
If the LPHA is not the direct recipient of the SBHC funding, the LPHA is not held accountable for SBHC contract requirements, including contract monitoring and oversight. This responsibility sits instead with the non-county medical sponsor.
LPHAs can determine the contract relationship with the SPO for each non-county medical sponsor in their county. This funding model acknowledges and supports the LPHA’s role in public health foundational program areas of access to clinical preventive services, prevention and health promotion and communicable disease control.
Funding awards and contracts to LPHAs and non-county medical sponsors encompass all state funding for that SBHC including: SBHC base funding, Mental Health Expansion Grant awards and any additional SBHC grants or funding opportunities.
SBHC base funding:
- State certified SBHCs are eligible to receive $65,000/year
SBHC Mental Health Expansion Grant (MHEG) - Capacity funding:
The MHEG funding formula is a tiered funding model based on the number of state certified SBHCs within a system (as defined by one or more SBHCs operating under the same medical sponsor in the same county). The total biennial funding award is cumulative.
# of SBHCs in system
| Biennial funding
|
|---|
1
| $175,000
|
|---|
2
| +$125,000
|
|---|
3 or more
| +$50,000 per site
|
|---|