California Safe and Supportive Schools

Healing Centered Schools: How School and District Leaders Can Finance Mental Health Using Medi-Cal

Project Cal-Well

Healing Centered Schools: How School and District Leaders Can Finance Mental Health Using Medi-Cal

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This webinar provided an overview of what school and district leaders need to know about Medi-Cal and discussed different models, examples, and action steps of how districts in California can integrate Medi-Cal funded mental health services into school settings. Presenters shared implementation challenges and lessons learned. Click on the video link above to watch the recording, and the links below to access additional resources.

The webinar was hosted in partnership between the California Department of Education, Department of Health Care Services, California Children’s Trust, and WestEd.

Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools

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The California Children’s Trust and Breaking Barriers have developed this guide for education leaders on partnering and accessing Medi-Cal (i.e., Medicaid) funding to support the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students. The guide provides:

  • An overview of what school leaders need to know about Medi-Cal
  • Five different models with examples of how California districts integrate Medi-Cal-funded mental health services into school settings
  • Five actions school district leaders can take now to access and reinvest Medi-Cal funding to support the needs of students
  • Step-by-step guidance on how to integrate Medi-Cal into a coordinated system of supports
  • Additional resources on accessing MediCal to expand billable mental health services for students

California Students: Behavioral Health Needs

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Youth’s behavioral health can directly affect their ability to learn and succeed in school and beyond, yet most youth with behavioral health concerns do not receive necessary care. Schools are increasingly being called upon to address students’ behavioral health needs. This brief describes the behavioral health needs of California students and describes resources for California schools and districts to address these needs. It is based on findings from a statewide principals survey and the 2016-17 California Healthy Kids Survey to inform the California Department of Education’s Project Cal-Well Mental Health Program.

Statewide Principals Survey Summary Report 2016-17 and 2018-19 School Years

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Through Project Cal-Well, the California Department of Education (CDE) and its partner local education agencies implemented a variety of programs to increase awareness of students’ mental health needs and access to mental health supports.

This report summarizes findings from a statewide survey of principals to assess their perceptions of the availability of existing mental health services, barriers to service provision, and staff professional development needs related to student mental health in California schools. Survey findings highlighted increased mental health needs, as well as increased provision of mental health school supports from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

Project Cal-Well: A 5-Year Journey

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The California Department of Education (CDE) is committed to increasing mental health services to support the socioemotional well-being of all students. In 2014, CDE was awarded a five-year Federal grant to implement Project Cal-Well statewide and in partnership with three local education agencies (LEAs).

The Cal-Well mission is to increase awareness of and improve mental health and wellness of California’s students, and provide training for school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues.

This brief describes the Project Cal-Well model and provides highlights of successes and lessons learned over five years of implementation.