The district partnered with Rocking Horse Community Health Center, Community Health Foundation and the city of Springfield for the project.
The school was awarded $1 million by the State of Ohio through the Mental Health Recovery Board (MHRB) of Clark, Greene & Madison Counties, and previously received a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city to fund the design services phase of the project. Rocking Horse also received a $350,000 grant to help open the center.
Superintendent Bob Hill said this public-private partnership was possible because “everyone involved prioritized the goal of improving the health and wellness of children and their families.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for supporting this exciting initiative that gives our students and residents of the Springfield City School District additional access to health care,” Hill said. “Students can go to the health center to get treated for primary care and behavioral health services and get back to class quickly. They won’t miss out on important instruction.”
All 7,700 Springfield students in the district’s 17 buildings from preschool to 12 grades can use the clinic with parental consent. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the health center will accept all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Greta Mayer, the CEO of MHRB, said this project award was quickly approved by the state with the help of Director LeeAnne Cornyn’s capital team (of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services) and fundraising efforts by the district. “Increasing access to mental health care for youth and families is a goal” of their Community Assessment and Plan.
A few classrooms on the east side of the high school’s lower level that were used for academic subjects were renovated for the clinic space, which also has its own exterior entrance and parking available behind the stadium.
The health center will have four exam rooms and three additional rooms for mental health treatment to provide primary care, vaccinations, health screenings and individual and group mental health counseling. Rocking Horse also plans to add vision and dental services in the future.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Rocking Horse, which will operate the new SBHC, has operated a smaller health center at the School of Innovation for Springfield students since at least 2009. This clinic offers basic medical care and behavioral health services as well as wellness checks, vaccinations and more.
“Having the health center within the Springfield High School building will allow us to be where students are and to treat health issues quickly. Some patients may not have transportation to get to a medical appointment, or they may have to wait to be seen. The health center will reduce these barriers to health care, preventing illnesses from getting worse, and no one will be turned away,” said Rocking Horse CEO Yamini Teegala.
Along with Rocking Horse, Anita Biles will be the community outreach coordinator and high school head football coach Maurice Douglass will be the coordinator of community and student engagement.
Biles will orchestrate the outreach and opening efforts of the SBHC, serving as liaison between the the district, Rocking Horse and the community.
Douglass will focus on at-risk middle and high school students by identifying underserved youth and connecting them with targeted district resources, as well as being tasked with collaborating with community stakeholders, including families, businesses, nonprofits and agencies to surround students with opportunities.
Any patient who needs services that are not offered at the health center will be referred to outside agencies.
For more information, visit https://www.scsdoh.org/page/school-based-health-center.
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