California Safe and Supportive Schools

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

Mental Health

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.

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.

Three Component Model to Support Students’ Mental Health: A Guide for California Schools

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Project Cal-Well is a five-year initiative intended to increase awareness of and improve mental health and wellness of California students in kindergarten through grade 12. Under the leadership of the California Department of Education (CDE), Project Cal-Well implements programs statewide and in partnership with participating districts and county offices of education using a three component model that focuses on student, school, and community needs and assets. The components of the model are:

  • Improve school climate for schoolwide prevention
  • Increase access to school-based behavioral health services
  • Enhance community collaborations

This guide describes the three component model and provides schools and districts with resources and tips to support youth mental health.