Press release from Blue Ridge Health:
Beginning August 17, 2020, in collaboration with the Transylvania County Schools (TCS), Blue Ridge Health (BRH) will provide school-based behavioral health counseling at Rosman Elementary, Rosman Middle, Rosman High and TC Henderson Schools. This will bring the total number of sites providing school-based services operated by BRH in Western North Carolina (WNC) to 17. The counseling services will be provided to students during school hours, following the TCS modified school schedule, and will be available to all students. Some additional services will be made available via telehealth technology that would allow students and families to link to an off-site BRH medical and/or behavioral health provider.
School-based health services bring preventive and acute care, as well as counseling, health education and other services to children and adolescents at schools. Each community determines which services are provided based on students’ needs. The school-based behavioral health services are staffed by BRH licensed clinical social workers (counselors) and are supervised by the BRH Behavioral Health Medical Director. All services are provided only with a guardian’s permission and registration for school-based health services. Services may also be provided virtually, at the request of parents and students. All insurances are accepted by Blue Ridge Health. Those without insurance or with high deductible plans can qualify for a sliding fee scale based on income and household size. No one is turned away for an inability to pay.
Studies show that the presence of school-based health services in a school is associated with improved educational status, including higher grade point averages and higher rates of graduation.
BRH staff will work closely with school counselors and key school support staff to identify and treat student behavioral health issues. “We know how critical the health and well-being of students and staff is to educational success and social-emotional resiliency. The school-based health center model represents Transylvania County School’s commitment to addressing this need.” said Dr. Jeff McDaris, TCS Superintendent. “TCS has entered into an MOU and partnership with Blue Ridge Health, and we look forward to nurturing a growing partnership with strong mental and physical health services for the children in Transylvania County.”
The new services in Transylvania County are indicative of increased collaboration between BRH and public school districts in WNC, in order to support the healthcare needs of the student population. BRH currently operates 13 additional school based health centers across Buncombe, Henderson, Jackson, Polk, Swain and Rutherford counties with plans to open more across the region in the coming years.
“We have seen a noticeable increase in demand for school based health services over the years, especially behavioral health counseling services,” said Tammy Greenwell, Chief Operations Officer for Blue Ridge Health, “Whether a school health center is newly opened or has been operating for decades, we see positive results for students, parents and faculty. We’re certain school-based services provided on site in the Transylvania County Schools will improve health outcomes as well.”
School-based health services primarily operate in communities designated as Medically Underserved Areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas and play a critical role in providing students with primary care, including behavioral health. Across the country, more than 2,000 SBHCs – one-third of which are located in rural communities – serve over two million students.
This collaborative approach in Transylvania County is intended to take care of the student’s health and well-being while supporting attendance and academic success. It improves access to care for students so that students and parents do not need to miss school or work to receive care.
The BRH – Transylvania County school-based behavioral health services will be available five days per week, following the modified TCS school schedule, at Rosman Schools and TC Henderson. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 828-233-2280.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.