BOS Approves Additional State Funds for Mental Health Services to At-Risk Youth
The Board unanimously approved receiving additional State funding added to grants providing mental health services to at risk youth in our community.
In June 2019, Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Behavioral Health and Social Services Branch (BHSS), in collaboration with Shasta County Office of Education (SCOE), applied for a grant from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) for funding under the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHHSA) of 2019. The MHHSA grant application sought to provide school-based mental health interventions at community day school locations.
An additional $465,755 was approved, increasing the maximum compensation to $2,965,755. The additional funds will make it possible to serve more students in need by hiring additional staff and extending the term of the program from January 31, 2026 to December 31, 2026. The MHSOAC approved rolling over these funds which were not utilized by the state for the MHHSA as of May 2022, due to workforce shortages.
Under the Student Success Program, BHSS has partnered with the SCOE and 9 school districts representing 12 distinct school sites to provide mental health services to youth attending community day schools and other alternative schools in Shasta County. These schools are currently serving 456 youth, with a maximum capacity of 540 youth. This collaboration has been very successful.
Community day schools serve students who have been expelled from school or who have problems with attendance and behavior. The outward problems that result in enrollment at community day schools masks the underlying issues these youth struggle with such as family discord, homelessness, child abuse and neglect, caregiver absence and many other challenging circumstances youth have little to no control over. The behavioral health team that makes up the Student Success program provides youth a peer support, a social worker and a mental health clinician to meet the multifaceted needs of the youth. The program goal is supporting youth manage their symptoms and complete school, which will allow them the opportunity to pave their own path moving forward. These services provide local at-risk youth with the help and tools they need to improve and become self-sufficient members of the community as they reach adulthood.
