The following is a Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools, put together by the California Children’s Trust Organization and Breaking Barriers. Even Before COVID-19, there was a youth mental health crisis. In the decade prior, children and youth ages 5-19 in the U.S. experienced a 52% increase in mental health hospitalizations, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24. This guide will present a five different ways school districts can partner with state or county-level agencies to access Medi-Cal and expand billable mental health services for their students. This guide will also address the steps that district leaders can take to utilize untapped Medi-Cal funds to help create an integrated, coordinated, and sustainable system of social, emotional, and mental health support for students.
