Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers.

Background: We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers.

Methods: Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were stratified by sex, ethnicity/race, and insurance status.

Engaging African American and Latino adolescent males through school-based health centers.

African American and Latino males are less likely to seek mental health services and obtain adequate care than their White counterparts. They are more likely to receive mental health services in school-based health centers (SBHCs) than in other community-based setting. The purpose of this article was to understand the issues and reasons these adolescents sought mental health services at SBHCs and what their perceptions of the services were.