About MASBHC

The Maryland Assembly is an advocacy organization that promotes school-based health care as a means to advance the belief that all Maryland children and youth have a basic fundamental right to access and receive quality health care that is comprehensive and preventative.

School-based health care represents an essential strategy toward improving the lives of Maryland’s children and their families and optimizing their ability to become contributing members of society. School-based health care is compassionate and competent, addresses the unique needs of children and youth and increases access to medical, mental, dental and/or other health related services.

Our Goals

• To provide a unified voice for school-based health care at the local, state and national level;
• To disseminate information from the national office to members at the state and local level;
• To advocate for services, policies, funding, programs and other necessary support from legislators, agency staff, community-based organizations, foundations, civic and religious leaders, and other potential supporters of school-based health care;
• To be the advocacy and information resource to local, state and national leaders and legislators on issues related to school-based health care and ensure that these leaders work to contribute, and to support the provision of school-based health care;
• To publicize the work of local school-based health programs;
• To provide technical assistance and networking opportunities to local school-based health programs through professional development programs;
• To create an organization that consistently implements effective policies and/or guidelines to support collaboration and community engagement within diverse communities; Clarification needed as to what this means.
• To collaborate with and engage families, youth and their natural, informal support and helping networks within diverse communities; Clarification needed as to what this means.
• To have the capacity to
  1. (1) value diversity,
  2. (2) conduct self-assessment,
  3. (3) manage the dynamics of difference,
  4. (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge and
  5. (5) adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of school-based health centers in the communities they serve; and incorporate the above into all aspects of policy making and administration; and
• To involve, systematically; consumers, key stakeholders and communities.