Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative Fee Schedule program
Announcements
CYBHI Fee Schedule Program Manual
On September 3, 2025, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) published an updated version of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Fee Schedule Program Manual. This manual will help Local Education Agencies (LEAs), public Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), and program participants best navigate implementing the Fee Schedule program at their school or school-linked site. Please see the CYBHI Fee Schedule Program Manual PDF.
Fee Schedule Cohort 5
On August 22, 2025, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced the Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and public Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)
approved to participate in the fifth cohort of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) statewide multi-payer school-linked fee schedule (Fee Schedule) program and statewide provider network. DHCS implemented an operational readiness review
process for all interested Cohort 5 entities. In determining readiness for this cohort, DHCS considered a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: Medi-Cal enrollment, service delivery infrastructure and capacity building, data collection and documentation,
and billing infrastructure.
See list of selected Cohort 5 participants.
Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) Services Now Available
On June 24, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved State Plan Amendment (SPA) 25-0014 to add Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) services as a new Medi-Cal benefit. This benefit is reimbursable under the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) statewide multi-payer school-linked Fee Schedule (Fee Schedule) program, with an effective date of January 1, 2025.
CYBHI Fee Schedule program providers may now submit claims for CWC services with a date of service of January 1, 2025, or later, in accordance with the services listed in the CYBHI Fee Schedule program Scope of Services,
Codes, and Reimbursement Rates document. Each CWC
session, regardless of the service activity, can be billed under the codes
listed and are dependent on whether the service is an individual initial or
follow-up session or group session.
Overview of the CYBHI Fee Schedule program
As part of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), the California Department of Health Care Services launched the CYBHI Fee Schedule program, a first-of-its kind effort to make it easier for students and families to get outpatient mental health and substance use disorder support when, where, and how they need it. This program creates a sustainable reimbursement pathway for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and public institutions of higher education (IHEs) to receive funding for services rendered at a school or school-linked site. The program sets the reimbursement rate for a certain set of outpatient, school-linked services rendered to children and youth who are:
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Under the age of 26,
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Enrolled in public TK-12 schools or institutions of higher education (e.g., California Community Colleges), and
Covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans, Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service, health care service plans, and disability insurers.
Children, youth, and families will not pay out-of-pocket expenses and there will not be any impact to their existing insurance plan nor deductibles.
Let’s work together to improve the behavioral health of children, youth, and families in California by expanding their access to youth-centered, equitable, and prevention-orientated services.
Impact by the numbers
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⁓600 Local Educational Agencies and public Institutions of Higher Education enrolled in the CYBHI Fee Schedule program
- ⁓3.6M students enrolled across participating schoolsites
- 98% of counties in California represented by current participants
Current List of Participating LEAs and IHEs
CYBHI Fee Schedule Program Overview video
Resources
Please visit the Fee Schedule Resource Library webpage to see the Onboarding Module videos, Ordering, Referring, and Prescribing Practitioners PDF guidance, Fee Schedule Scope of Services Reimbursement Rates and Codes PDF, Parent and Caregiver Flyer and Brochure, relevant policies, legislation, and State Plan Amendments, the example Provider Participation Agreements, Affiliate Provider Guidance documents, and Carelon Behavioral Health resources.
Questions and Email Distribution
If you have any questions about the Statewide Multi-Payer School-Linked Fee Schedule, or if you would like to be added to the distribution list for newsletters and other related communications, please contact
DHCS.SBS@dhcs.ca.gov.
