SF4931

Purpose

This bill changes what school-based health centers (SBHCs) can provide and how they are funded. It aims to expand the health and mental health services available to students through SBHCs and to supply financial support to these centers through stabilization grants administered by the Department of Health.

Main Provisions

• Expanded list of services at SBHCs, including:
  • Preventive health care
  • Chronic medical condition management (examples: diabetes, asthma)
  • Mental health care and crisis management
  • Trauma recovery and operating support groups
  • Acute care for illness or injury
  • Oral health care and vision care
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Substance abuse counseling
  • Referrals to a specialist, medical home, or hospital for care
  • Care coordination among schools, families, and community health care providers
  • Home visits and community-based care for students who cannot safely attend school
  • Addressing social determinants of health
  • Emerging services such as mobile health and telehealth
• Telehealth provisions:
  • Telehealth services must be provided in conjunction with in-person care when possible, or provided promptly when the student is not attending school.
• Boundaries with school staff:
  • SBHC services must not replace the daily student support provided by school staff such as licensed school nurses, educational psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors.
• Funding and administration:
  • The Commissioner of Health would distribute stabilization grants to SBHCs.
  • The bill involves appropriating money to support these services.
  • The changes are made by amending Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 145.903 subdivision 3.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Broadens the scope of services that SBHCs can offer beyond traditional health care to include expanded mental health care, crisis management, trauma support, and services addressing social determinants of health.
• Introduces and formalizes the use of telehealth and mobile health as part of SBHC service delivery, with requirements linking telehealth to in-person care when feasible.
• Establishes funding mechanisms (stabilization grants) to support SBHCs financially.
• Explicitly states that SBHCs should complement—but not replace— core school-based support staff (nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors).

Implementation Notes

• The changes are framed as amendments to Minnesota Statutes and would be implemented under the Department of Health’s administration of stabilization grants to SBHCs.
• Emphasizes coordination among schools, families, and health providers, while preserving the ongoing role of school staff in student support.

Relevant Terms school-based health center, SBHC, preventive health care, chronic medical condition management, diabetes, asthma, mental health care, crisis management, trauma recovery, operating support groups, acute care, oral health care, vision care, nutritional counseling, substance abuse counseling, referral, medical home, hospital, care coordination, home visits, community-based care, social determinants of health, mobile health, telehealth, in-person care, daily student support, licensed school nurses, educational psychologists, school social workers, school counselors, stabilization grants, commissioner of health, Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 145.903 subdivision 3.