Students can stop by the Glenbrook School Health Center (GSHC) for free therapy, stress-relief sessions, and medical care, helping them stay healthy physically and mentally.

The GSHC was created to make healthcare more accessible, offering a range of free services such as therapy sessions, self-care, mental health check-ins with an adult, immunizations, screenings, and treatment for minor illnesses, according to the GSHC website.

Multilingual support in English, Spanish, Korean, and Mongolian is also provided, GSHC Pediatrician Dr. Joanna Lewis said. The health center emphasizes that all services are free for every student up to age 18, Lewis said.

“One of the main things that we try to advertise is that everything is free, no matter if you have insurance or not,” Lewis said.

Since opening, several other districts have visited the GSHC, Dr. Lara Cummings, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support, said.

The GSHC is working to expand services at North, offering increased mental health support at South this year with the goal of adding more services for the convenience and equity of all students and staff, Cummings said. Part of these services is letting students know they have acsess to the services.

“We are being proactive and introducing students to the health center with hopes that it empowers students to take control of their health,” Cummings said. “Our hope is to be able to educate them on different topics that allow them to access healthcare when they need  it.”

The GSHC offers students a chance to step away from the pressures of school, take a short break to recharge, and return to class feeling refreshed and more focused, Nurse Practitioner Kara Rau said. During these breaks, students can take part in activities such as aromatherapy, which helps reduce stress and promote relaxation, Rau said. Students can visit any time during the center’s hours, 7:30 a.m to 4 p.m Monday through Friday, or schedule an appointment online, according to the GSHC website.

“[The center is] a really good [place] if you are feeling overwhelmed or have something big coming up,” Rau said. “You can just take a moment for yourself, reset, and get ready to go back into class.”