California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative is showing measurable gains in schools, but witnesses at a June 10 Assembly Select Committee hearing said the program still faces funding and coordination hurdles that could limit its long-term sustainability.
CYBHI director Sohil Sud told lawmakers that the state now has more than 4,500 certified wellness coaches, more than 230,000 fee-schedule claims serving more than 48,000 students, and more than $11 million in new revenue tied to the reimbursement system. The hearing centered on how the initiative is moving from policy design into day-to-day implementation across schools, counties and higher education.
Fresno County officials offered one of the clearest local examples. Trina Frazier of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools said the county’s school-based model now reaches 318 school sites, 12 wellness centers and five mobile therapy units, and she said the county recently reached 50% cost recovery through the fee schedule. Her testimony described a network built through partnerships with county behavioral health and school districts.
Other witnesses said the initiative’s early results are encouraging but incomplete. WestEd’s Lisa Eisenberg and others cautioned that fee-schedule revenue and grants will not cover the full cost of services without ongoing funding and simpler billing. The hearing also highlighted the need to coordinate school-based care with counties, health plans and colleges so students can keep getting support as they move between systems.
The hearing did not include a formal budget action or appropriation, and the record available for this story does not show any committee vote or directive.
