School-Based Mental Health
School-Based Mental Health Initiative
Promoting Expanded Learning as a Viable Strategy for Student Mental Health
California has established a cohesive statewide vision to collaborate across sectors and promote student wellness. As part of this bold vision, the California Department of Education has launched the Transforming Schools Initiative, which encompasses Expanded Learning, Community Schools, and School-Based Mental Health Supports.
Resources & Promising Practices
Newsletters, Recordings, Case Examples, and More!
You do powerful work — and you deserve powerful resources to match! This space is built for practitioners, partners, and leaders who are committed to supporting student mental health every day. From promising practices and workshop recordings to case examples and ready-to-use tools, our resource library is designed to meet you where you are and help you go further. The best part? It keeps growing. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for what’s new!
General Resources
For Us By Us: Youth Designed Resources for Mental Health & Well Being: Tools to support children, youth, and families at your fingertips
The Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) takes an all-of-the-above approach, bringing behavioral health services and supports for children, youth, and families to the spaces where their lives are lived, including in homes, communities, schools, and online.
View the Free Digital Resources here!
Workshop & Webinar Recordings
Increasing Access to Mental Health Through Expanded Learning - Fall 2025 Expanded Learning Academy Workshop
Wednesday, October 1, 2026
This virtual workshop will outline efforts underway in California to fund and sustain school-based mental health services for all children and youth. Panelists will discuss how Expanded Learning resources can be braided with school-based mental health funding to increase access to services and how one school district is putting these strategies into action!
Presenters:
- Araceli Corral, Director I, Student Support Services, Modesto City School District
- Jeff Davis, Executive Director, California AfterSchool Network
- Liz Elizondo, Youth Services Program Director, Center for Human Services
- Donielle Prince, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality, California AfterSchool Network
Workshop Resources
- Presentation Slides PDF
- Workshop Recording via YouTube
Memos & Promising Practices
Memo Resource #1
“Expanded Learning as a Trusted Messenger for Student Mental Health & Well-Being”
This memo highlights San Diego County’s mental health education strategies that decrease stigma and increase comfort levels of students and their families to reach out for services.
Expanded Learning (ExL) staff often have deep connections with families and students and can be viewed as trusted messengers when sharing information about new mental health and well-being resources for young people.
View the memo here.
Memo Resource #2
“How Anaheim Elementary School District Became one of California schools’ top billers for mental health services for students. How can Expanded Learning participate and support this work in your districts?”
With the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, California has invested in new opportunities to increase young people’s access to mental health resources. How are schools involved in this work?
Through this initiative, schools can now provide students with greater access to mental health programming and professionals. As part of the district, Expanding Learning can participate by:
- Sharing strategies rooted in a whole child, youth development approach
- EXL staff can become certified as Wellness Coaches
- Before & After School and Summer help increase student access to services as well as services all year round
To get more information on how schools participate in the CYBHI initiative, check out this case example from Anaheim Elementary School District that highlights how they have invested in their students’ mental health, by drawing on CYBHI funding – and how they became one of the top behavioral health services billers in the state!
Anaheim ESD CWC + PPS School Counselor Memo.pdf
Health & Wellness Newsletter
Stay up to date with all things Health & Wellness by signing up for the Health and Wellness newsletter! The newsletter is sent out quarterly and keeps subscribers informed about new policies, laws, grants, funding opportunities, and free resources, including a section on Mental Health Well-Being. Check out recent and past newsletters, and don’t forget to sign up (under “Stay Informed”)!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Save the Dates!
Your next opportunity to learn, connect, and grow is closer than you think! We regularly share events, workshops, and professional development opportunities focused on school-based mental health — from statewide convenings to local community gatherings. Bookmark this page and stay in the loop so you never miss a chance to deepen your practice and strengthen your community.
Mental Health 101 - June 2026
As part of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) School Linked Partnership and Capacity Grant, Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) invite you to register for one free virtual Mental Health 101 training.
This session is offered to any California educator, in partnership with the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) School-Linked Partnership and Capacity Grant.
Adult SEL 101 - April & May 2026
As part of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) School-Linked Partnership and Capacity Grant, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) are offering FREE virtual Adult Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) capacity-building opportunities!
Please register for one of the following dates (same training provided four times to offer scheduling flexibility):
- April 16, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM - Registration Link
- April 20, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Registration Link
- May 7, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Registration Link
- May 11, 1:00 – 2:00 PM – Registration Link
This engaging training will include breakout rooms and opportunities to participate; please come with an active mindset. This session is for everyone in education, including: COE Leaders; Site and LEA Leaders; Clinicians; School Counselors; Classroom Teachers; Support Staff; Campus Staff; Expanded Learning/Out-of-School-Time (OST) practitioners; Community Schools staff, etc.
This session is offered to any California educator, in partnership with the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) School-Linked Partnership and Capacity Grant.
CA Wellness Coaches
Did you know that nearly half of California’s youth are struggling with their mental health and well-being?
There’s never been a better time to be a California Certified Wellness Coach. A strong and diverse workforce means a healthier California.
CYBHI School-Linked Partnership & Capacity Grant
About Our Partners & Funders
CAN is excited to partner
with California’s Health and Human Services
Agency’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative
(CYBHI) and the Sacramento County Office of
Education (SCOE) as we work collaboratively to build
strong school-based and school-linked partnerships that advance
health, mental health, and substance use prevention,
intervention, and treatment across California.
Developed in partnership with the CYBHI School-Linked Partnership & Capacity Grant and the Sacramento County Office of Education.
CYBHI Partnership & Capacity Grant
Centering the Needs of Youth and Families
California’s Health and Human Services Agency has introduced the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) to develop a comprehensive plan for student mental health, including school-based services and supports. Additionally, as part of the CYBHI, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched the school-linked partnership and capacity grant program to provide County Offices of Education (COEs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with critical resources to promote utilization of the CYBHI statewide multi-payer school-linked fee schedule.
Sacramento County Office of Education
Transforming Schools Into Centers of Wellness
In collaboration with their 13 school districts, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is identifying & addressing the mental health and wellness needs of all students in Sacramento County, by placing a SCOE-employed mental health professional in EVERY SCHOOL and creating a system in which all adults understand their role and contribute to supporting the school-community-continuum-of-care. Learn more.
Research Connecting ExL & Mental Health
Report: Promoting Protective Factors in California’s Afterschool Programs
This report, drawing on data from
the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), examines the extent to
which afterschool programs may help foster more
protective factors among its participants compared to their peers
who were not program participants. This report was
created by WestEd and commissioned by the California AfterSchool
Network.
A Protective Factors Framework
Support Team
Contact Us!
Interested in learning more about School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) efforts, Wellness Coaches, and tapping into resources? Please contact our team!
Our SBMH initiatives are led by Donielle Prince, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality, and supported by Jeff Davis, Executive Director.
