Take Action Mental Health in Your State

California

By The Numbers

6,884,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

459,000
Children with major depressionii
278,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:998

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:6,132

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:612

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in California

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW CALIFORNIA COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv 

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

45

33

33

36

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

289,000 / 9.17%

401,000 / 13.23%

415,000 / 13.71%

459,000 / 15.22%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

245,000 / 63.9%

259,000 / 66.0%

278,000 / 64.5%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

258,000 / 8.8%

256,000 / 8.7%

284,000 / 9.8%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

68,000 / 27.5%

59,000 / 24.6%

72,000 / 26.1%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

24,981 / 4.36%

24,818 / 4.36%

25,118 / 4.42%

25,424 / 4.51%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

146,713 / 32.0%

92,000 / 7.0%

100,000 / 7.5%

111,000 / 8.2%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

 

237,000 / 7.50%

40,000 / 4.63%

122,000 / 4.04%

137,000 / 4.55%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
California

By The Numbers

6,884,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

459,000
Children with major depressionii
278,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:998

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:6,132

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:612

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in California

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW CALIFORNIA COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv 

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

45

33

33

36

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

289,000 / 9.17%

401,000 / 13.23%

415,000 / 13.71%

459,000 / 15.22%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

245,000 / 63.9%

259,000 / 66.0%

278,000 / 64.5%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

258,000 / 8.8%

256,000 / 8.7%

284,000 / 9.8%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

68,000 / 27.5%

59,000 / 24.6%

72,000 / 26.1%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

24,981 / 4.36%

24,818 / 4.36%

25,118 / 4.42%

25,424 / 4.51%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

146,713 / 32.0%

92,000 / 7.0%

100,000 / 7.5%

111,000 / 8.2%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

 

237,000 / 7.50%

40,000 / 4.63%

122,000 / 4.04%

137,000 / 4.55%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School Psychologists: California has one school psychologist for every 998 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School Social Workers: California has one school social worker for every 6,132 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250)
  • School Counselors: California has one school counselor for every 612 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health. 

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: State statutes and regulations require districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.
  • Mental health partnerships:
    • Welfare and Inst. Code Sec. 5886 (2021) establishes a mental health partnership grant program for the purpose of creating mental health partnerships between a county’s mental health department and school districts. 
    • Cal Educ. Code Sec. 8902 (2021) provides grants for schools to create community partnerships with local universities and non-profits to enhance student support services, including mental health, social, and academic support services.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Some progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training: Educ. Code Sec. 215 (2018) requires school suicide prevention policies to address training on suicide awareness and prevention for teachers.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require regular training to ensure K-12 teachers and staff receive regular training on mental health conditions and substance use conditions, including available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program covers school-based telehealth services for all EPSDT services, which include mental health.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, , inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs. 

 

Current Policy:

  • Anti-bullying:
    • Educ. Code Sec. 234.1 (2017) requires the department of education to adopt an anti-bullying policy and processes, including a requirement that school personnel who witness an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so.
    • Educ. Code Sec. 32270 (2009) establishes a statewide school safety cadre for the purposes of facilitating interagency coordination and collaboration to encourage good citizenship and reduce school violence, bullying, substance abuse, discrimination, harassment and other school safety issues. 
    • Cal Educ. Code Sec. 233 (2001) requires the State Board of Education to, at the request of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, adopt policies directed toward creating a school environment that is free from discriminatory attitudes and practices and acts of hate violence. It further directs the State Board of Education to provide regional training to assist school district personnel identify hate violence on school campuses.  
  • Mental health excused absences: Educ. Code Sec. 48205 (2021) allows for excused absences for the benefit of the pupil’s mental or behavioral health.
  • Suicide prevention:
    • Educ. Code Sec. 215 (2018) requires school boards to work with school and community stakeholders, school mental health professionals, and suicide prevention experts to develop a policy aimed at addressing suicide prevention for grades K-12, including addressing the needs of high-risk groups.
    • Cal Educ. Sec. 234.6 (2020) requires that schools include anti-bullying and suicide prevention policies and resources in a prominent location on their websites.
  • Alternatives to exclusionary discipline: Educ. Code Sec. 48900.5 (2019) specifies that suspension shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as requiring annual school climate surveys and promoting an inclusive environment through anti-discrimination policies.

Skills for Life Success

Little or no progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No recommended life skills competencies in K-12 (CASEL).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require adoption of evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Meaningful progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Educ. Code 51890 (1977) requires K-12 health education to include mental and emotional health and development.
  • Educ. Code 51925 (2021) requires middle and high school health education to include instruction in mental health.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require K-12 health education to explicitly include education on mental health, similar to legislation passed by New York and Virginia.