Implementing a project as complex as the MHSSA requires multiple phases and technical assistance, which can be seen below. Documenting the funding work already done, along with outlining what’s next, stays true to the Commission’s values of transparency and open communication.
Phase One
Authorized by Senate Bill 75 as part of the State’s 2019 Budget Act, the MHSSA allocated $40 million one-time and $10 million ongoing funding for school-county mental health partnerships.
SB 75 limited applicants to counties, cities, or multicity mental health agencies, or consortiums of those entities, working in partnership with one or more school districts and either a county office of education or a charter school.
The law made funding available in two categories: funding for counties with existing school mental health partnerships and funding for counties developing new partnerships. It further designated grant eligibility based on county size (small, medium, or large).
The Commission received 38 grant applications from 40 counties, including two multi-county collaboratives. Twenty were to support existing partnerships (Category 1), and 18 were to support new and emerging partnerships (Category 2). This first round of funding provided approximately $75 million for the 18 grants awarded, including 10 for Category 1 and eight for Category 2.
Category 1: Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Mendocino, Orange, Placer, San Luis Obispo, Solano, Tulare, Ventura
Category 2: Calaveras, Madera, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Tehama, Trinity-Modoc, Yolo
Phase Two
The Budget Act of 2021 provided an additional $95 million to fund applicants who applied to the first round of funding but did not receive a grant. An additional 20 counties were eligible for grants; the Commission approved funding for the additional counties at its June 2021 meeting. This round of funding provided approximately $78 million for the 19 grants awarded, including nine for Category 1 and 10 for Category 2.
Category 1: Glenn, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco
Category 2: Amador, Contra Costa, Imperial, Nevada, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sonoma, Sutter-Yuba, Tuolumne
Phase Three
Senate Bill 115 Budget Act of 2021 provided funding from the Mental Health Services Fund of up to $100 million to fund the remaining 20 counties establishing an MHSSA program, as well as providing $15 million for program evaluation. These grants were intended for Economically Disadvantaged Communities and are available to California counties and local education partners who did not already receive an MHSSA grant from the Commission.
This round of funding provided $55 million for the 20 grants awarded to:
Alameda, Berkeley, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Inyo, Kings, Lassen, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Napa, Plumas, San Benito, San Joaquin, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Tri-City
Additional Funding
In addition, approximately $48 million which was not awarded in the previous phases was distributed to the 41 grantees that applied for it.
Phase Four
At the February 22, 2024 Commission meeting, the Commission approved a plan to provide a total of $25 million over three years for services within four identified categories: (1) Marginalized and Vulnerable Youth, (2) Universal Screening, (3) Sustainability, and (4) Other Priorities, to allow applicants to identify and address their unique needs.
51 awardees were notified of Intent to Award on August 12th, 2024.
MHSSA Technical Assistance
To support the ongoing work of the MHSSA, the Commission recommended a Technical Coaching model to provide much needed technical assistance to the 57 MHSSA grantees. $6.2 million in funding was made available through a competitive procurement process for a 4-year term to existing MHSSA grantees with special expertise in specific subject matter areas to serve as Technical Coaches, and also to contract with a Statewide Coordinator and additional subject matter experts.
The Technical Coaches will provide technical assistance to other grantees who request or require special assistance to successfully implement and sustain their MHSSA program. MHSSA grantees needing technical coaching will be connected to a Technical Coaching Team who will work together with a Statewide Coordinator to develop a range of strategies to build the capacity for excellent student mental health programs throughout the state.
Technical Coaching will be provided in the four areas identified by MHSSA grantees through learning collaborative sessions and surveys. The four coaching areas:
- Data Collection (Tehama County Department of Education)
- Partnership Development (Imperial County Office of Education)
- Program Implementation (Placer County Office of Education)
- Sustainability (Imperial County Office of Education)
The Commission released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for MHSSA Statewide Technical Assistance Coordinator (STAC) on September 23, 2024. For more information, please visit Request for Proposal (RFP) for Mental Health Student Services Act Statewide Technical Assistance Coordinator (STAC).
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