Policy & Research · Texas behavioral health news
Newsom Vowed To Transform Kids’ Mental Health. Many California Schools Are Still Waiting.
KFF Health News – Mental Health · By Christine Mai-Duc · July 1, 2026
In plain language
California launched an ambitious $4.4 billion program to provide mental health services directly on school campuses, but many schools are struggling to make it work. While the plan was meant to let schools easily bill insurance companies for counseling and therapy, the process has turned into a complicated administrative nightmare. Many schools have seen major delays in getting paid, leaving them without enough funds to keep the counselors they hired. Parents have also expressed concerns about sharing private insurance information with school systems.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- California's new program requires health insurance companies to reimburse schools for providing mental health services on campus.
- More than half of the state's school systems have not yet started participating in the billing initiative.
- Schools face long delays and complex paperwork when trying to get reimbursed for the care they provide to students.
- Budget shortages have led some schools to lay off mental health staff while waiting for state funding.
- Some families are hesitant to provide health insurance details to schools due to privacy and immigration concerns.
- Youth suicide rates in California have dropped since 2021, but rates for Black and female youth have recently increased.
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an ambitious initiative to make public schools the epicenter of mental health services for young people. Five years after he promised transformation, many schools have struggled to get the program up and running, and hundreds more have yet to try.
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