School Health Services - School Based Health and Wellness Centers

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General Information
Locations
How to Enroll
Hours of Operation
Documents to Bring
Eligibility Requirements
Fees and Payments
Frequently Asked Questions
Background
Contact Us

General Information

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services currently operates 16 School Based Health and Wellness Centers (SBHWCs), located in schools across the county. They provide a comprehensive range of services including preventive medical health care, sick care, mental health, social services and other services that promote positive youth development in a familiar and family friendly environment. Each of the SBHWCs is partnered with Linkages to Learning or Positive Youth Development to offer these services and support families and students to be healthy and successful in school.

The medical health care component serves students enrolled in the schools as well as their uninsured siblings and children in the Care for Kids Program living within the zip code of the school and assigned to the SBHWC program.

School Based Health and Wellness Centers are comprised of a multidisciplinary team of practitioners who provide comprehensive and wrap around care for the students.  The health care team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, school nurses, certified nursing technicians.  The Linkages to Learning or Positive Youth Development staff includes site coordinator, case manager, and mental health therapist. There may also be a community service aide, and/or graduate school interns as part of the core site staff (bilingual staff and interpreters are available).

Health services offered include:
  • Routine or sports physical examinations
  • Sick care – diagnosis and treatment of minor / acute / chronic health problems
  • Referral and case management of children with acute and chronic illnesses
  • Health screenings (including vision, hearing, dental)
  • Immunizations
  • Prescriptions and dispensing of medications
  • Laboratory testing
  • Access to dental care
  • Dental varnish
  • Health education and counseling through individual interventions, classes, health fairs or health promotion
To enroll, you must be a student in the school with the SBHWC, be an unisured sibling of a student enrolled in the school with a SBHWC or be assigned by the CFKs program.  Parents sign written consent for their children to receive the services. SBHWCs help students remain healthy, ready to learn and more likely to participate in academics, sports and social activities. Contact the SBHWC at your child’s school for an enrollment packet and they can assist you with the enrollment process.

Locations

School Based Health Centers  
School Based Wellness Centers  

Hours of Operation

Typical hours of operation are during the school day, with some sites open just before and some just after school. Please call the specific SBHWC location for their hours of operation.


How to Enroll

To apply, complete the enrollment packet providing written parental permission and return it to the School Based Health and Wellness Center (SBHWC) staff at your child’s school.  The enrollment packet is available at the school office, the school health room, and the SBHWC.  Contact the SBHWC at your child’s school for an enrollment packet and they can assist you with the enrollment process.

Documents to Bring

If the child has health insurance, please bring the insurance card when enrolling.  If the child has no insurance, our centers will provide an application and assist the family to obtain insurance or enroll in a health care program such as the Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (MCHP/HealthChoice) or the Montgomery County Care for Kids Program.

Eligibility Requirements

All children who attend a school that has a SBHWC are eligible for enrollment in the SBHWC, regardless of insurance status.  In addition, uninsured siblings can enroll in the SBHWC, as well as Care for Kids clients in the zip code assigned to the SBHWC.

Fees and Payments

Only Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (MCHP/HealthChoice) will be billed for students in these programs. No students enrolled in the SBHWCs will be billed or denied access to care.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What if I have a regular doctor through private health insurance?
If you have private health insurance, the SBHWC can provide urgent sick care and minor injury visits, and will coordinate follow-up medical services with your private doctor.  Your child should continue to be seen by his or her regular doctor for a yearly check-up (physical examination). Children without insurance are eligible for comprehensive check-ups (physical examinations).
2. Are prescriptions included?
The nurse practitioner and physician will prescribe medicines as needed.  Some medications may be obtained at the SBHWC; others may be purchased at your local drug store.  SBHWC staff will explain how to take the medication and answer your questions about it. 
3. Will there be a dentist?
The nurse practitioner will conduct a dental screening on enrolled children. Students in need of further dental care may be referred to the dentist and dental hygienist working in partnership with the SBHWCs through the Department of Health and Human Services Dental Program or to their private source of dental care.
4. Who will provide the medical care?
Nurse practitioners and physicians under contract with Montgomery County provide primary health care at the SBHWCs.  The school nurse and the school health room technician support these health care partners, and also provide basic school health services to all students during school hours, whether they are enrolled for SBHWC services or not.  Bilingual staff and interpreters are available.
5. Must a parent be present when the child receives medical care?
With permission of a parent, children may be seen for sick care without a parent being present.  The nurse will contact the parent on the day of services.  Parents are encouraged to be present for all well child visits.

Background
Montgomery County opened its first two School Based Health Center (SBHC) sites at elementary schools in 1997- at Broad Acres and Harmony Hills Elementary Schools.  This was in partnership with the Linkages to Learning (LTL) Program. Since then seven  other LTL SBHCs have opened; Gaithersburg Elementary School, which also serves Washington Grove Elementary School students; Summit Hall Elementary School, which additionally serves Rosemont Elementary School students; New Hampshire Estates, which also serves Oakview Elementary School students; Rolling Terrace Elementary School; Highland Elementary School, which also serves Arcola Elementary School students; Viers Mill Elementary School and Weller Road Elementary School.
 
In addition, there are four School Based Wellness Centers - located at high schools - in the county, with more planned.  The current SBWCs are located at Northwood HS, Gaithersburg HS, Watkins Mill HS and Wheaton HS.
 
The School Based Health-Wellness Center Advisory Task Group, with representation from a broad array of partners and stakeholders, makes planning recommendations to the County Executive and County Council for future development.
 
 Contact Us
School Based Health and Wellness Centers
School Health Services
Department of Health and Human Services
401 Hungerford Drive, 2nd Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Email:  Brenda Russo
240-777-1550
 
SBHWC Management Team
Brenda Russo
Nurse Administrator

Jeanett Peralta
Nurse Administrator
 
Kate Hagner
Nurse Manager