California Safe and Supportive Schools

Medi-Cal 101 for School and District Leaders: Financing School Mental Health Using Medi-Cal

Mental Health

Medi-Cal 101 for School and District Leaders: Financing School 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 and was supported by Project Cal-Well.

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

To Create Safe and Healthy Schools During a Pandemic, Prioritize Educator Wellbeing

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Educator wellbeing provides the foundation for the overall wellness of educators, students, and the school community. In this brief, we describe how educator wellbeing is impacted by school climate and culture, educators’ own social and emotional competencies and self-care strategies, and individual histories of trauma and crisis. The brief focuses on a wide range of strategies for educators and school leaders to promote and support educator wellbeing, provides examples of successful implementation of educator wellbeing practices in California school districts, and includes resources to bolster supports for educators.

Statewide Principals Survey Summary Report 2021-22 School Year

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View the infographic.

Through Project Cal-Well, the California Department of Education 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 2022 report summarizes findings from a statewide survey of principals conducted by the University of California, San Francisco 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. The 1,347 respondents represent 95% of California counties, 54% of California school districts, and 13% of California public schools. Although the convenience sample may represent principals with a stronger interest in mental health concerns and services, the findings hold important relevance for understanding principals’ perspectives on students’ mental health needs, as well as the landscape of mental health service provision in California schools.