Announcements

Small and Rural LEA/IHE Implementation Toolkit

In August 2026, DHCS published a Small and Rural LEA/IHE Implementation Toolkit. This toolkit is designed as a practical, field ready guide, it distills complex policy and billing requirements into clear steps a superintendent, principal, coordinator, or small team can implement without needing specialized expertise. The toolkit provides:

• A detailed Getting Started guide with step-by-step instructions and tips
• Decision tools to select the right implementation model for your LEA/IHE
• Considerations for working with third-party billing vendors and community-providers
• Strategies for setting up or participating in a billing consortium
• Post-implementation strategies to ensure success over the long-term
• Practical tips to manage cash flow, avoid common pitfalls, and build momentum

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:

• Under the age of 26,
• 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.

Monthly Breakdown of CYBHI Claims Submissions

DHCS is now providing monthly updates on claims activity for the CYBHI Fee Schedule program. Below are the latest submission and reimbursement figures as of August 31, 2026:

• 253 LEAs/IHEs (including 13 school-linked providers) have submitted claims.
• 899,115 claims have been reimbursed, totaling $25.03 million in new revenue for LEAs and IHEs.
• 92,245 unique students have received services submitted for reimbursement.
• 43 Managed Care Plans/Insurers are represented in the claims data.

Impact by the numbers

• 700 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

• Cohorts 1 Through 4 Participants
• Cohort 5 Participants
• Cohort 6 Participants
• CYBHI Fee Schedule: Reimbursed Participants (as of October 5, 2026)

CYBHI Fee Schedule Program Overview Video

Resources

Please visit the CYBHI Fee Schedule Resource Library to find essential guidance and materials to support CYBHI Fee Schedule program implementation. The library includes provider resources for LEAs/IHEs and community-based school-linked providers, onboarding modules, parent and caregiver engagement materials, and program policies.

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.