Douglas and Sarpy Counties are faced with an enormous health care disparity. Almost half of the children in the two-county area do not have a regular health care provider. When faced with such barriers, children suffer from a lack of continuity of care and poor attendance in school, as health-related conditions interfere with academic success.
Building Bright Futures (BBF) is in partnership with area health care providers and focused on access to quality health care and behavioral mental health services within an integrated delivery model. This model is the School-Based Health Centers (SBHC). The SBHC are operated by professional health care providers and designed to link students to a medical home. In addition to the SBHC, the Healthy Futures programs focus on health literacy and advocacy.
PROGRAM GOALS
Improve the educational success of students by providing expanded health care services on-site
Six School-Based Health Centers, with care provided by Charles Drew Community Health Center and OneWorld Community Health Center, were launched in August 2010 and began serving 69 host and linked schools, along with two Educare Centers and eight Early Childhood Care Centers. Healthy Futures is guiding areas of health-related programming, policy and mission. Healthy Futures is also fostering communication among BBF’s programs with health implications to ensure services are coordinated in an effort to eliminate gaps and redundancy.
Collaborate with area health agencies, health care providers and area school districts to create sustainable and high quality school-based behavioral and mental health services
Healthy Futures is engaging community mental health providers to develop a delivery model for mental and behavioral health services in collaboration with the School-Based Health Centers.
Assess community need and obtain baseline data to accurately measure the impact of School-Based Health Centers and Healthy Futures programming
Building Bright Futures and the UNMC College of Public Health will complete a needs assessment in school-communities hosting School-Based Health Centers. The needs assessment will provide baseline data, while providing guidance for scopes of service within the School-Based Health Centers and delivery of mental and behavioral health services.
School-Based Health Center Sites & Hours:
Belvedere Elementary
402-932-1232
3775 Curtis Avenue
Indian Hill Elementary
402-933-4968
3121 U Street
Kellom Elementary
402-505-5451
1311 North 24th Street
King Science & Technology Magnet Center
402-502-5644
3720 Florence Boulevard
Liberty Elementary
402-505-8180
2021 St. Mary’s Avenue
Spring Lake Magnet Elementary
402-932-7014
4215 South 20th Street
To meet the SBHC staff, download enrollment forms, read FAQs, or to learn more about the BBF School-Based Health Centers, visit www.ops.org/sbhc.
Building Bright Futures contacts
Jeanee Weiss
Director of Healthy Futures
402-715-4145
j.weiss@buildingbrightfutures.net
Dr. Debra Tomek
Medical Advisor
402-502-6436
d_tomek@cox.net
Ellen McElderry
Mental Health Coordinator
402-350-0727
ellen.mcelderry@unmc.edu
Jeremy Nordquist
Senior Advisor
402-715-4169
j.nordquist@buildingbrightfutures.net