School-Based Health Centers in Arkansas: A Practical Guide

This practical guide, produced by the School-Based Health Alliance of Arkansas and funded by Arkansas Children’s Hospital, covers the process of establishing and operating a school-based health center (SBHC) — a healthcare facility located on or adjacent to school grounds that provides students with access to physical and mental health services. It documents the connections between SBHCs and outcomes such as reduced absenteeism, improved chronic disease management, and increased access to care for students in lower-income and rural communities. The guide walks through the full lifecycle of an SBHC, from building stakeholder support and conducting community needs assessments, to setting SMART objectives, assembling an operations team, and developing memorandums of agreement with community health providers.

For those involved in the facility side of SBHC development, the guide covers space planning and clinic design in some detail, including sample floor plans drawn from converted classrooms and freestanding modular buildings. It addresses required elements such as exam rooms with handwashing sinks, therapy space, lockable storage, lab space, and accessible entrances, as well as OSHA and CLIA regulatory requirements for clinical laboratory settings.