Issue date: July 30, 2026
Application due date: August 21, 2026 at 5pm
Eligible entities: Ohio school-based health center (SBHC) operators*
Project period: September 2026 – May 2027
Award amount: $22,500 per operator, up to 6 operators
*Applicants must be SBHC operators verified through the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance SBHC census.
Background and purpose
Consent rates and patient visit volume are critical indicators of SBHC utilization and are closely tied to financial sustainability. The number of students with active parent/guardian consents on file directly affects the student population that can access services, while visit volume influences the number of billable encounters generated by an SBHC. Together, these factors play a significant role in an SBHC's ability to sustain and expand services over time.
Many of the strategies used to increase consent rates and visit volume, including family outreach, school engagement, workflow development, marketing, and follow-up activities, require dedicated staff time and resources that are generally not billable/reimbursable. As a result, SBHC operators often seek practical approaches that can improve these outcomes while making efficient use of limited resources.
The Ohio School-Based Health Alliance (Ohio Alliance), in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), is launching an SBHC quality improvement (QI) learning collaborative to support participating SBHC sites in developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions designed to increase SBHC consent rates and patient visit volume.
Funding opportunity
The Ohio Alliance will select up to six (6) Ohio SBHC operators to participate. Each selected operator will receive $22,500 and participate in a structured learning collaborative to test strategies within its local context, establish and track measurable goals, learn from peers, and contribute to identifying promising approaches that may inform SBHC practice across Ohio.
Applicants must identify at least one participating SBHC site but may propose to implement the project across multiple verified SBHC sites operated by their organization. The maximum award is $22,500 per selected operator, regardless of the number of participating sites.
Project goals
This QI learning collaborative has three primary aims:
Background and purpose
Consent rates and patient visit volume are critical indicators of SBHC utilization and are closely tied to financial sustainability. The number of students with active parent/guardian consents on file directly affects the student population that can access services, while visit volume influences the number of billable encounters generated by an SBHC. Together, these factors play a significant role in an SBHC's ability to sustain and expand services over time.
Many of the strategies used to increase consent rates and visit volume, including family outreach, school engagement, workflow development, marketing, and follow-up activities, require dedicated staff time and resources that are generally not billable/reimbursable. As a result, SBHC operators often seek practical approaches that can improve these outcomes while making efficient use of limited resources.
The Ohio School-Based Health Alliance (Ohio Alliance), in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), is launching an SBHC quality improvement (QI) learning collaborative to support participating SBHC sites in developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions designed to increase SBHC consent rates and patient visit volume.
Funding opportunity
The Ohio Alliance will select up to six (6) Ohio SBHC operators to participate. Each selected operator will receive $22,500 and participate in a structured learning collaborative to test strategies within its local context, establish and track measurable goals, learn from peers, and contribute to identifying promising approaches that may inform SBHC practice across Ohio.
Applicants must identify at least one participating SBHC site but may propose to implement the project across multiple verified SBHC sites operated by their organization. The maximum award is $22,500 per selected operator, regardless of the number of participating sites.
Project goals
This QI learning collaborative has three primary aims:
- Identify and test effective strategies for improving SBHC consent and utilization rates that can be adapted and replicated by other SBHCs across Ohio.
- Strengthen SBHC sustainability by increasing the number of students with active parental/guardian consents on file and increasing patient visit volume at an SBHC.
- Evaluate implementation and outcomes by establishing measurable goals, tracking progress, assessing the effectiveness of interventions, and documenting lessons learned and promising practices.
Eligibility and application criteria
Eligible applicants must:
Eligible applicants must:
- Be an Ohio SBHC operator verified through the Ohio Alliance Statewide SBHC Census.
- Identify at least one verified SBHC site to participate in the project.
- Commit to implementing one or more approved interventions designed to increase SBHC student consent and patient visit volume during the project period.
- Commit to participating in all QI learning collaborative meetings and required check-ins.
- Submit required quantitative and qualitative data for project evaluation throughout the duration of the project.
- Designate a primary project contact responsible for coordinating participation in the initiative.
For questions on this RFP, please contact Rachael Schilling at rachael@osbha.com.
Please review the full RFP here before applying.