Charter Schools Development Center

CSDC is collaborating with The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) School-Linked Partnerships and Capacity Grant Program to share important information on how charter schools can access one-time funding to enhance service-delivery capacity and access reimbursement through the new statewide multi-payer fee schedule.

Don’t miss this opportunity to secure this one-time funding aimed at enhancing your school's capacity to deliver and receive reimbursement for behavioral health services!

With the implementation plan deadline rapidly approaching, it's crucial to understand the steps required to secure this valuable funding. Review key deadlines below, learn more about the grant's purpose, read answers to frequently asked questions, and access essential resources to help you navigate the process successfully. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Laura Kerr, CSDC's Legislative & Community Outreach Specialist (lkerr@chartercenter.org).

Key Deadlines for Charter Schools

To access CYBHI's Capacity Grant funding, charter schools must:

Engage with the appropriate contact at their County Office of Education (COE) to discuss implementation planning and access available support and resources. A list of contacts for each COE can be found here.
Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that submitted a Baseline Survey and wish to access funds directly are required to sign an MOU with the COE in which they are located.
Submit the Implementation Plan: LEAs that submitted a Baseline Survey and wish to access funds directly must submit an LEA Implementation Plan by November 12. The implementation plan is to be completed and submitted through the Qualtrics online form. The LEA implementation plan should be developed based on the information provided in the baseline survey. Prior to completing this form, charter administrators can review the required contents of the implementation plan here.

About the CYBHI Fee Schedule and Capacity Grant Program

The CYBHI Statewide Multipayer Fee Schedule is a statewide, multi-payer system that establishes reimbursement rates for school-linked behavioral health services provided to students, requiring Medi-Cal and commercial health plans to reimburse LEAs for these services regardless of network provider status.
The School Linked Partnership and Capacity Grant programs provides one-time funds through July 2026 to support LEAs, including charter schools, in building readiness to deliver behavioral health services and receive reimbursement through the Fee Schedule.
COEs are responsible for overseeing and distributing grants to LEAs, including charter schools, within their jurisdiction. COEs were required to submit a countywide implementation plan, which outlines how they plan to use funds and allocate them to LEAs in their county.
At least 80% of funds are intended to flow directly to LEAs, unless the COE provides a rationale for a different distribution.
Depending on the COE implementation plan, charter school LEAs may access funding directly, participate in a consortium at the county-level, or do a combination thereof.
To access funds, schools must sign an MOU with their COE, submit an implementation plan by November 12, and submit three progress reports between July 2025 and July 31, 2026.

Charter School FAQs

Q: Where do I find my school’s Capacity Grant allocation?

A: Reach out to your county of education to determine your LEA allocation amount.

Q: How can funds be used?

A: Most of the funds (at least 70%) should be used to achieve operational readiness and develop systems to implement the fee schedule for behavioral health services. This includes:

Medi-Cal enrollment and billing infrastructure
Service delivery infrastructure and capacity building
Data collection and documentation system
Partnerships with behavioral health providers

For example, funds can be used for:

Hiring and training staff to deliver behavioral health services
Expanding facilities to provide more space for services
Purchasing equipment and supplies needed for service delivery
Developing data systems for tracking services and outcomes
Building partnerships with community behavioral health providers
Technical assistance and coaching on implementing the fee schedule
Outreach and engagement to increase student access to services

For more guidance on how funds may be spent, please see the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Funding Guidance Overview.

Q: Can charter schools within a CMO or network submit one implementation plan?

A: Yes, charter schools within a network or charter management organization may consolidate allocations and activities into a consolidated implementation plan. We recommend engaging with your COE to determine the allocation amount for each LEA. Indicate your intent to submit a consolidated implementation plan. A single MOU will likely be entered into between the COE and CMO on behalf of all charter school LEAs participating in the consolidated implementation plan.

The consolidated implementation plan will designate one LEA within your organization to serve as the lead. The consolidated plan will reflect the total allocation and the implementation activities to be undertaken for all participating charter school LEAs.

We strongly recommend that you engage with your COE as soon as possible to express the intent to participate in a consolidated implementation plan, and then work closely with your COE in developing the consolidated implementation plan and subsequent progress reports.