Sustain district mental health initiatives by braiding grant funding into annual plans, ongoing surveys, and reimbursement streams¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief's sustainability approach embeds mental health in existing district structures so work continues after the grant ends: schools included mental health in their annual School Plans for Student Achievement, a federal Mental Health and Training Grant will continue the annual student wellness surveys initiated by the evaluation, and the district "plans to expand Medi-Cal reimbursement for behavioral health services" through a statewide school-linked fee schedule and provider network.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Board-approved strategic plan naming mental health priorities
• Alternate funding streams identified before grant expiration

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• Students, families, and educators districtwide

Target Learning Goals¶

• Continuity of school mental health services and longitudinal wellness data collection

Related Strategies¶

• Blend and braid county sales tax and city parcel tax funding sources to maximize impact and sustainability
• Sustain school mental health services by blending one-time grants with ongoing reimbursement streams
• Sustain the school mental health system through braided funding, LCAP indicators, and ongoing program mapping
• Sustain cross-agency collaboration through a dedicated district leader and monthly partner meetings
• Health plans can actively partner with schools by directing networked providers to school-based activities, providing TA, placing care coordinators on campus, and funding prevention through grant-making
• Sustain school mental health programs through multi-payer fee schedules and alignment with existing initiatives
• Federal policy should fund wraparound supports and community schools integrating health, mental health, social services, and extended learning time
• Use quarterly IPP indicator data and twice-yearly data reviews with LEAs for continuous quality improvement

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• WestEd. (2024). Del Norte Unified School District: A Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Services Through Project Cal-Well. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED655967