top of page

Module 3: Setting Up the Clinic

Overall Guidelines

Once the need has been demonstrated and all the partnerships and organizations are in place, the next step is establishing the clinic with some foundational operational elements. We recommend preparing to use these budget and financing considerations and templates below, then referencing the additional resources provided.

​

Finance & Budget Considerations

Copay and Deductible Waiver Information

Youth Healthcare Alliance

Colorado law exempts school-based clinics from the requirement to collect copayments or deductibles before billing the patient's insurance. This document provides an overview and outlines some logistical and revenue considerations this raises for clinics.

​

Budget Templates

Colorado Health Foundation

A sample budget template with tabs for data input, staffing, other costs, in-kind, income statement, and instructions. New school-based clinics can use this sample budget template when developing a budget for a new school-based clinic.

​​

Sliding Fee Scale Example

Sunrise Community Health

Quality

Enrollment and Consent Form (English and Spanish)

Summit Community Care Clinic School-Based Health Center

Registration and consent forms that enroll a student in the school-based clinic’s physical, mental, and oral health programs and telehealth service delivery.

​

Minor Consent Form (English  & Spanish)

MarillacHealth School-Based Health Center

Consent form for minors to complete when seeking services that fall within Colorado’s minor consent laws.

​

Electronic Enrollment Considerations

Youth Healthcare Alliance

As more schools shift to online enrollment, school-based clinics have the opportunity to also enroll patients electronically. This document offers some considerations and ideas as you explore this new way of gathering patient consent.

 

Online Registration Packet

Denver Health 

Updated annually, Denver Health uses the online form for school-based clinic registration and parental consent.

Registration & Consent Forms

Image by Romain Dancre

Facilities Considerations & Templates

Privacy

Sample Equipment, Furniture, and Supply List

STRIDE Community Health Center

Document that displays equipment and supplies often needed in a school-based clinic. Estimates of costs and quantities included. 

 

SBHC Floor Plan (4 Exam Rooms)

Aurora Public Schools

Sample floor plan that includes four exam rooms, lab, intake/office, a multipurpose room, waiting area, and bathroom. The sample floor plan includes sample furniture or supplies in for each room, along with dimensions of each room.

 â€‹

SBHC Floor Plans (Various Sizes)

Denver Health

Mock-up of floor plans of various SBHC configurations. The floor plans also include a more detailed construction plan.

 

SBHC Floor Plans (2 Exam Rooms)

Mountain Family Health Center

Floor plan that a new program can review and use when creating a new SBHC. 

 

Trauma-Informed Spaces 

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing 

An introduction to trauma-informed design concepts and recommendations for your clinic.

Promotion

Job Description Templates

School-based health centers are staffed in diverse ways with teams that reflect school-community needs and organizational capacity. Below are four common staff types within Colorado’s school-based health centers. Many other staff types, such as dental hygienists, patient educators and patient navigators, registered nurses, and psychiatrists may also be part of a clinic’s team. This resource provides sample job descriptions and listings from fellow Colorado school-based clinics to help you get started. 

​

Front Desk

Kids First Health Care

​This position may take on different titles and include a variety of responsibilities depending on the overall staffing structure of a school-based clinic. It is important that the person attending to the front desk is comfortable interacting with patients and families, familiar with the various paperwork needs for different appointment types, and able to schedule appointments and work with the school to call patients for appointments.

​

Coordinator / Program Manager

Kids First Health Care

This position takes on different titles and may have variable roles depending on the school-based clinics operating agency. This position is typically the administrative point person for the school-based clinic(s). 

 

Medical Assistant

Sheridan Youth Health Clinic & Kids First Health Care

Medical Assistants are common members of the school-based clinic team and often asked to work to the top of their certification. As with many school-based clinic staff, they may take on additional clinic roles. 

​

Patient Educator

Kids First Health Care

This position supports the clinical staff in the clinic by providing patient education on topics such as nutrition, medication management, and healthy relationships. In some settings, this position is also responsible for providing requested presentations on health topics in school classrooms. Additionally, this position often shares information about health and the school-based clinic with youth and families at school functions ranging from lunchroom tables to sporting events.

 

Behavioral Health Provider

Pediatric Partners of the Southwest & Kids First Health Care

Some school-based clinics contract services with a local behavioral health entity; however, increasingly clinics are able to employ their own behavioral health staff. Licensure type may vary though the most common are LPC and LCSW. 

​

Primary Care Provider

Sunrise Community Health & Kids First Health Care

The Primary Care Provider is a foundational position for school-based clinics. This position is most often filled by a mid-level provider (NP or PA). The population the school-based clinic intends to serve as well as the scope of the operating agencies services may influence if a family practice, pediatric focus, or other specialty area is desired in this role.

planning icon with pencil and check mark

Articulating the Need

Determine if starting a clinic is right for your school district and how to gain buy-in, including:

​

  • Needs and opportunities assessments

  • Factsheets and videos

  • Blueprint for clinics

planning icon of person and check list

Planning for a Clinic

How to begin planning fundamental components necessary to open a clinic, including:

​

  • Workplan and business models

  • Organizational chart

  • Partnership development and community assessments

bottom of page