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Deschutes County says Healthy Schools program linked to fewer youth behavioral‑health ED visits and major cost savings
Summary
County health officials told commissioners that a four‑year evaluation of the Healthy Schools partnership with Bend‑La Pine Schools shows broad adoption of evidence‑based prevention practices, improved referral‑to‑care rates and an estimated prevention of 84 behavioral‑health emergency department visits in one year, with $812,000–$1.5 million in avoided charges.
Deschutes County public‑health officials presented a four‑year evaluation Jan. 28 showing that the county’s Healthy Schools partnership with Bend‑La Pine Schools has been widely adopted at middle and high schools and is tied to meaningful reductions in adolescent behavioral‑health emergency visits.
Jessica Jacks, program manager for Deschutes County Health Services, and Amy Snyder, supervisor of adolescent and school health, told the county commissioners that public‑health specialists embedded in school settings helped increase the use of evidence‑based prevention programs and improve links to care.
County staff said the evaluation found that the partnership helped prevent 84 behavioral‑health emergency‑department visits in one year — a 21% reduction among 11‑ to 17‑year‑olds living in ZIP codes with Healthy Schools — and estimated avoided charges of about $812,000 for ED visits alone, rising to roughly $1.5…
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