The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), in conjunction with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), received a $2.5 million, three-year grant to provide technical assistance to enhance the schoolbased services (SBS) infrastructure in Oklahoma. This investment will allow more students and their families to connect with local and state health care resources.

School-based services are Medicaid-compensable services provided to children and adolescents in a school setting. These health care services play an important role in the health and well-being of students enrolled in SoonerCare. Currently, only students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can receive SBS.

The grant, awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, allows OHCA and OSDE to increase technical assistance to school districts, improve instructional manuals and toolkits, and create trainings that will strengthen the infrastructure for billing SBS. The initiative will address technology solutions and establish a district mentorship program. It will also drive public/private partnerships and incentivize districts to improve available health care offerings by connecting districts to mobile units, pop-up clinics and telehealth services.

“This grant supports the state in building a reliable support system to help to narrow disparities in access to care for students enrolled in SoonerCare,” said Ellen Buettner, OHCA Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health and Mental Health Advisor. “We are happy to support Oklahoma schools in breaking down barriers to providing these much-needed services by simplifying the complexities of billing SoonerCare.”

Although schools are primarily providers of education-related activities, the school setting offers a unique opportunity to enhance early identification of health needs, enroll children in SoonerCare, facilitate access to coverage and provide health services directly to children enrolled in SoonerCare. Access to school-based health care services has been shown to improve health and academic outcomes. Examples of care that can be delivered at school include:

• Preventive care

• Behavioral health

• Physical and occupational therapy

• Disease management

“Students are at the heart of everything we do, and ensuring the best learning environment for all students is the top priority,” said Secretary of Education Nellie Tayloe Sanders. “This $2.5 million grant represents a profound opportunity to connect students and their families with the critical services they need to thrive. We care about so much more than the academic success of students; we want to provide for their emotional and physical needs. Together, we’ll take this transformative step toward expanding and reinvesting in the health infrastructure within our schools.”

Learn more about school-based services at https://oklahoma. gov/ohca/providers/ types/school-based-services. html.