Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

PUSD has joined the California Children Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a new statewide program designed to help public schools access sustainable funding for behavioral health services.

This program will help PUSD to maintain and expand mental health and substance use disorder services, as well as wellness programs, for all students.

The program allows the school district to seek reimbursement from health insurance providers (including Medi-Cal and private insurance) for socio-emotional and mental health services provided to students at school.

What Services Are Covered?

The CYBHI program covers a specific scope of health and behavioral services for students under the age of 26, including:

• Classroom Support: Social-emotional lessons integrated into the classroom.
• Screenings & Counseling: Behavioral health screenings, substance use screenings, and individual or group counseling for lifestyle topics (e.g., friendship, social skills, executive functioning, stress, anxiety, grief).
• Peer Support: Teen Mental Health First Aid for peer educators and student interns.

Key Information for Families

• No Cost to You: The CYBHI program strictly prohibits insurance plans from passing any of these costs on to families. Parents will never receive a bill; you will not pay co-pays, deductibles, or increased premiums.
• No Impact on Your Private Care: Receiving these free services at school will not reduce, impact, or alter your family’s ability to obtain care from your regular doctors or therapists outside of school.
• Privacy: Any health insurance or personal information collected from a child is safe and strictly restricted for billing purposes.
• Eligibility Remains Unchanged: This program does not change your student's eligibility for services; it simply creates a sustainable funding model to expand and maintain high-quality behavioral health support within our schools.

To help our district maximize funding and continue providing these vital mental health resources, a consent form and insurance policy collection will be included in the PUSD digital enrollment packet.