Request For Proposals: School Based Health Centers

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (UWABC) recently accepted a Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) federal grant from the US Department of Education. The grant supports a wide range of activities including: 

  • our expansion to Reynolds Middle School which began this fall and the addition of a sixth community school the following year
  • efforts to expand the depth and breadth of mental health services, restorative practices, and the parent leadership program
  • a new partnership with Buncombe Partnership for Children centered on Kindergarten readiness
  • a robust data and evaluation plan for our school and community partnerships, and
  • the grant will help launch school-based health centers at Asheville Middle School and Erwin Middle School, two of five current community schools.

School-Based Health Centers

Nurse with student

Launching two school-based health centers is designed to improve both educational and health outcomes by increasing access to quality physical, mental, and behavioral health care. Communities that have launched similar initiatives have seen, among other things: 

● Improved attendance
● Improved mental and behavioral health
● Improved academic performance
● Higher delivery rates of vaccinations and other recommended preventive services
● Decreased asthma morbidity
● Decreased emergency department and hospital admissions 

Request For Proposals

UWABC is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the School-Based Health Center program(s). UWABC is seeking to contract with a sponsor to provide a school-based health center at Asheville Middle School and Erwin Middle School.

Intent to Apply and Important Dates

  1. Federally Qualified Health Centers that intend to submit a proposal must set up a time to meet with United Way to discuss the program details prior to submitting an application. To set up a meeting with Deborah Calhoun, click here to choose a meeting time between January 4 - January 13, 2021.
  2. The application form will be released after the pre-application meeting.
  3. Submit your completed online application by February 5, 2021.
  4. Candidates will be notified on March 2021.

Please view the RFP for further information, eligibility, and guidance on how to apply.