Student Support Services

California schools offer varying levels of health services, from programs meeting minimum legal requirements to school-based health centers (SBHCs) that offer comprehensive medical, mental and/or oral health care.

In all cases, school health services emphasize health promotion, early detection, and disease prevention to support student success in school.

Schools often choose to expand their school health services beyond mandated services to better meet the needs of students in their community.

This can mean offering medical, mental health or oral health services, or programs to address specific health problems (such as asthma) or to promote healthier behaviors (such as healthier eating and more physical activity).

School health services may be organized under different program models.

Expanded program models include:

  • SBHCs
  • School nursing programs
  • Student counseling or mental health programs
  • School-linked health services or telehealth services
  • Mobile clinics
  • Oral health programs
  • Health promotion programs

Read more about Mandated Health Services.

Read more about Expanded Program Models.

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools offers resources for developing many of these models.