About Children Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI)
BUSD is now part of the Children Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) program. The program allows school districts to be reimbursed for socio-emotional mental health services they provide to students. While not all services that the school district provides are eligible for reimbursement under this program, school districts will continue to provide access to existing support services in accordance with state and federal laws. Reimbursement comes from families’ private health insurance providers, including Medi-Cal.
About the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) requires health insurers to reimburse school districts for a specific scope of services that are provided to students under the age of 26, including:
- Social-emotional lessons in the classroom
- Behavioral health screenings
- Teen Mental Health First Aid for peer educators and student interns
- Substance use screening and counseling
- Individual and group counseling for lifestyle topics such as friendship and social skills. executive functioning, stress, anxiety, grief, etc.
The CYBHI program prohibits health care plans and insurers from passing any of the costs of these services to families. It provides other protections for families, as well. For instance, our reimbursement request will not affect your insurance coverage (i.e., you will not pay co-pays, higher premiums, or deductibles). Receiving services at school will not reduce or impact students’ or their families’ ability to obtain care outside of school.
CYBHI’s “Fee Schedule” sets the reimbursement rate for different types of school-related services.
What do families need to know about the CYBHI fee schedule program?
Eligibility for Services: This program will not change students’ eligibility to receive behavioral health services. Rather, the program will expand the availability of services by creating a new, sustainable method for providers to be reimbursed. Services delivered to students covered by Medi-Cal MCPs and Medi-Cal FFS, most commercial health plans, or disability insurers, with certain exceptions, are eligible to be reimbursed at the CYBHI fee schedule rate.
- CYBHI Covered Services provided to students under the age of 26 who are enrolled in a participating Medical Covered Program (MCP) or insurer are eligible for reimbursement.
- In accordance with state law, the following entities are mandated to reimburse school districts and designated community-based school-linked providers and practitioners for the provision of services to a student as part of the CYBHI Fee Schedule program:
- Medi-Cal MCPs. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 5961.4)
- Medi-Cal FFS. (Welfare and Institutions Code § 5961.4)
- Commercial health care service plans (i.e., commercial health plans) are regulated by the Knox Keene Health Care Service Plan Act. ( Health and Safety Code §1374.722(a))
- Disability insurers that cover hospital, medical, or surgical benefits. (California Insurance Code § 10144.53)
-Students are also eligible regardless of academic status (i.e., there is no requirement to be in academic good standing to receive CYBHI Fee Schedule program-covered services).
Privacy and Consent: All health information will be securely stored and only shared in alignment with existing state and federal laws. This health information will be used to verify insurance coverage and eligibility with DHCS, DMHC, CDI, and your existing insurance provider.
Billing: The CYBHI fee schedule program is designed to complement existing insurance coverage, and participation in the program will not affect a family’s insurance (e.g., premiums or deductibles).
- Receiving services at school will not reduce or impact students’ or their families’ ability to obtain care outside of school.
- This program will not affect your insurance coverage (i.e., no co-pays, no higher premiums or deductibles).
- There will be no cost to parents or caregivers for students who receive services eligible for reimbursement under the CYBHI fee schedule program (no co-pays).
- This reimbursement will come directly from the insurance companies that cover the students at our schools, at no higher cost to the parents or caregivers.
Please note that some insurance plans, such as high-deductible health plans and Medi-Cal Share-of-Cost plans, may require additional verification for program eligibility.
You can provide Consent to Bill Insurance using the forms below:
Media
Frequently Asked Questions about the CYBHI Fee Schedule
Click on the (+) sign to expand each topic.
+ Why doesn’t BUSD use Infinite Campus to get consent and insurance information from all families?
We plan to streamline this process for the 2026-27 school year. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, the request will be part of an annual Data Confirmation process that all families have to complete. At that time families can opt in, or update insurance information. Opting out is always an option if it becomes necessary for a family to withdraw consent to bill. Email cybhi@berkely.net for assistance.
Right now, we are asking parents, guardians, and caregivers to provide their health insurance or Medi-Cal information using the Informed K12 electronic forms if they have not already provided it.
+ What is a Fee Schedule?
A “fee schedule” establishes the rates at which health care providers (Ex. BUSD’s PPS credentialed employees, Certified Wellness Coaches, community partners who are licensed providers, and affiliated partners like the high school Health Center) are reimbursed by health insurance plans for specific services. It includes the appropriate billing codes, rates, and provider types for each service type billable as part of the CYBHI fee schedule program.
The CYBHI fee schedule is intended to serve as a sustainable funding source for school-linked behavioral health services that:
- Increase access to school-linked behavioral health services for children and youth;
- Create a more approachable billing model for schools and LEAs;
- Ease burdens related to contracting, rate negotiation, and navigation across delivery systems; and
- Reduce uncertainty around students’ coverage
+ Will the CYBHI Fee Schedule Affect Our Health Insurance?
The CYBHI Fee Schedule will not affect your health insurance.
California Welfare & Institutions Code section 5961.4 and California Health & Safety Code Section 1374.722 (b)(6) prohibit insurance companies from requiring co-payments for CYBHI services or changing a family’s insurance based on its use of them.
+ Is my Health Insurance Required to Reimburse the School District?
Yes, a school district can only seek reimbursement if they first get consent to bill insurance, along with student insurance information. Only then can school districts submit a claim for reimbursement.
- Current law requires commercial health plans and Medi-Cal to reimburse, regardless of network provider status, for services furnished to students pursuant to the fee schedule.
- Services provided as part of the fee schedule shall not be subject to copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or any other form of cost sharing.
- The fee schedule establishes the minimum rates at which Managed Care Plans (MCPs) must reimburse schools and school-linked providers for the provision of services to a student under the age of 26 at a school site, including on-campus, off-campus, and mobile clinic locations.
+ Will the CYBHI Fee Schedule Change the Services My Student Receives?
No, the CYBHI Fee Schedule will not change the type of behavioral health support or services your child receives.
+ Will the Fee Schedule Change the Special Education Services My Child Receives?
No. Your student will continue to receive the services specified in their IEP.
+What if my student’s preferred name or gender marker is different on insurance?
Please only write the name that is printed on the insurance and the gender marker that the insurance has listed on the health insurance plan when completing the consent to bill insurance and student insurance information form.
- The student’s name, insurance ID, and gender marker that gets submitted with the consent to bill form will be entered into the insurance field section in our information system. The insurance section is a separate, non-visible section, and is not viewable to students or staff users. School site personnel do not manage this section or have a role in entering CYBHI program consent to bill insurance forms.
- The gender marker field that is visible to students, staff, and parents is a different visible section of the system, which is a front-facing feature for BUSD users with accounts. We do not maintain records of gender marker changes.
+ What if a student is an undocumented resident or immigrant?
We do not collect or maintain information related to a student’s resident/immigration status, nor does BUSD ask students. The CYBHI program does not ask for or use data related to a student’s immigration or resident status.
+ Do I Need To Provide Student Health Information?
Yes, please. We are asking any/all families who have health insurance and are able to provide consent to bill, to opt in to allow BUSD to access the reimbursement dollars from your health insurance company. The information that you share with us will allow us to submit a request for reimbursement.
- It is your choice, and your consent to bill insurance will help whether your student is in a classroom where socio-emotional lessons are presented, or there is a school counselor at your student’s school who works with any/all students in a variety of ways; we can get reimbursed if we have student insurance information.
- If your student is receiving targeted support as part of a plan or intervention to help them and your school has a community partner organization working with your student, we can get reimbursed if we have student insurance information.
- Only after a student’s health insurance information has been provided, along with consent to bill insurance, can an eligible activity/service be submitted for reimbursement.
+ Will You Ask My Permission Before Providing Services To My Child?
Some services, such as socio-emotional education, may take place during class time. Those lessons do not require parent permission. A student dropping in to a school wellness center/wellness room, or school counselor office for socio-emotional support, processing, or skill building also does not require parent permission.
We will ask for your consent before providing more specific mental health services. Please note, however, that minors aged 12 and above can consent to certain services without their parents’ permission.
+ Can I ask for a specific service for my child?
BUSD has tiered counseling and wellness support provided by staff who are skilled and trained to address a concern or need, and who can recommend an appropriate next step. If you notice a change or need in your student’s behavioral health (wellness, socio-emotional, mental health, substance use), please let your school counselor know, or a trusted staff member such as a Family Engagement Specialist, your principal, RJ Coordinator, or Student Welfare Assistant. Our staff will provide a supportive response by helping to connect you at an appropriate tier of support and/or to navigate available resources. You can also reach out to the Counseling and Wellness Program Manager, Doreen Bracamontes if you are having difficulty making a connection.
+ How Do I Opt Out?
If you have provided health insurance information and decide later to opt out of consent to bill insurance, you can send an email to cybhi@berkeley.net to opt out of consent to bill. The opt-out option will not be retroactive, but will be effective as of the date of opting out.
+ Why am I Being Asked To Provide Consent For My High School Aged Youth To Access Counseling Services If The Age Of Consent In California is 12?
The reason parents are being asked to provide consent is that consent to bill insurance is required. Most students are unaware of their health insurance information, which is necessary for us to bill using the CYBHI Fee Schedule.
Once students enter adolescence (middle and high school age years), we would like to avoid placing the school counselor and student in a position where they have to individually ask parents for consent to bill insurance for universal school-based service to students. This way, teens will not hesitate to drop in to connect with a school counselor or wellness center staff if they are having a bad day or feeling stressed out, or trying to make sense of something and seek space to process or reflect. We do not want to create barriers to high-frequency, typical school-based engagement and interaction between students and counseling or wellness staff.
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) requires health insurers to reimburse school districts for a specific scope of services that are provided to students under the age of 26, including:
- Social-emotional lessons in the classroom
- Behavioral health screenings
- Teen Mental Health First Aid for peer educators and student interns
- Substance use screening and counseling
- Individual and group counseling for lifestyle topics such as friendship, social skills. executive functioning, stress, anxiety, grief, etc.
Resources
CA Dept Of Health Services: Multi-Lingual Flyer Options
Spanish | Vietnamese | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Arabic | Farsi
CA Dept Of Health Services: CYBHI Fee Schedule Program
BUSD Notices
- BUSD Access to Public and Private Benefits and Insurance
- How to Complete the electronic Health Insurance Consent to Bill form
Contact
Doreen Bracamontes, Program Manager, Counseling & Wellness | Email: doreenbracamontes@berkeley.net
