Bringing behavioral health access to schools

When systems work, students get care

The California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Fee Schedule strengthens school-based behavioral health access statewide for children and young adults. Rather than layering new programs onto complex systems, the initiative integrates reimbursement and administrative coordination directly into the school environment.

Expanding access at this scale requires more than increasing provider capacity. Sustainable growth depends on infrastructure that supports consistent reimbursement and predictable processes for schools and health plans.
 

Demand for school-based behavioral health care is growing

As demand for behavioral health services among youth continues to rise, schools are increasingly positioned at the forefront of early identification and support. Educators are often the first to recognize when a student may need support, making schools a natural entry point for care.

By integrating services across health and education systems, the CYBHI Fee Schedule ensures that support is coordinated, responsive to students, and easier for schools to sustain.
 

Why schools are the right access point

The CYBHI Fee Schedule designates schools and colleges as the primary access point for behavioral health services, bringing providers directly onto campus. Delivering care where students already learn reduces logistical barriers and streamlines access to services.
 

How the CYBHI Fee Schedule aligns access at scale

The CYBHI Fee Schedule expands school-based behavioral health care by standardizing reimbursement and centralizing administration across participating health plans. Instead of having schools navigate a multi-payer process, the initiative aligns rules, rates, and claims procedures under one coordinated framework.

This alignment reduces variation across plans and creates greater payment predictability for schools and providers. A consistent fee schedule and centralized oversight support timely reimbursement and reliable service delivery statewide.
 

Carelon’s role

To administer the CYBHI Fee Schedule statewide, California needed a third-party administrator capable of aligning multiple payers under a single, coordinated model. Carelon Behavioral Health was selected to provide the operational infrastructure necessary to support a statewide initiative of this scope.

With experience processing more than 48 million claims annually and distributing $9 billion in payments, Carelon delivers the scale and consistency required for statewide reimbursement management.

As the centralized administrator, Carelon:

• Onboards participating schools and screens providers.
• Manages the standardized fee schedule.
• Verifies eligibility and processes claims.
• Reimburses schools in alignment with program requirements.
• Provides ongoing technical and administrative support.