If you’re a parent in California, you may have come across the term CYBHI and want to understand what it means. It stands for Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, and it’s a major state effort to make it easier for young people to access help.
To answer your questions around what support your child can actually access and how you go about getting it, this guide explains the CYBHI in California in straightforward terms.
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The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a multi-year effort by the state of California. Its aim is to make mental health support easier for young people to access. The initiative is backed by billions of dollars and led by the California Health and Human Services Agency, along with several state departments.[1]
The CYBHI in California includes programs serving children, teens, and young adults through age 25, and some resources are available regardless of their insurance situation. This means it’s designed to help your child whether they have Medi-Cal, private insurance, or no coverage at all.[1]
The main idea behind the CYBHI is to identify mental health difficulties early, before they become more severe or develop into a crisis. Instead of waiting until a child is in a serious situation, the CYBHI is aimed at prevention and early support.
California children’s mental health initiative began in 2021 and has since been rolled out in stages, with 2026 being a milestone in the work.[2] The initial build-out period has finished, but California has stated the supports it created continue through other state programs.
The CYBHI in California has many aims, spanning multiple areas of child healthcare, so the clearest way for you as a parent to see it is in terms of what it actually does.
Much of the CYBHI’s focus is on spotting the early signs of mental health challenges, and through CYBHI Medi-Cal, it has added dyadic services.[3] Dyadic care allows a healthcare provider to address a child’s developmental and behavioral health needs while also providing certain screening, counseling, and support services to their parent or caregiver.
A doctor can see a parent and child together and can screen both for areas like stress and early signs of challenges.
Screenings are also built into school-linked services and regular checkups, meaning problems have a better chance of being noticed before they grow.
Another important part of the initiative is the CYBHI school focus, with a key part being the fee schedule.[4] This allows schools to bill health plans and Medi-Cal for certain mental health services as needed. This school behavioral health approach in California makes it possible for them to offer support like counseling and screening for students at no extra cost to families.
The state has also funded grants to improve school mental health support and has created an entirely new position, called the Certified Wellness Coach.[5] A CWC is a non-clinical professional who supports your teen with their mental health in schools, as well as being their care coordinator.
The CYBHI California recognizes that helping a child usually means supporting the parents too, so there are measures in place to ensure the right support is there. The BrightLife Kids app features free coaching for parents or caregivers on everyday challenges like building routines and dealing with behaviors and strong emotions.[6]
There’s also a free set of parenting videos that have been made by child mental health experts, which cover common worries that parents have around their child’s behavior.
Some of the CYBHI’s most accessible support is online, through two free apps, BrightLife Kids, mentioned earlier, and Soluna. The BrightLife Kids app is for both parents and children up to the age of 12, while Soluna is for teens and young adults aged 13-25.[6]
Both of these CYBHI youth services offer free one-on-one coaching by video or chat, along with self-guided tools and help finding care local to you.
Again, these are free behavioral health services California youth can use, with no need for insurance or referrals to use the services.
The CYBHI in California also funds a youth suicide prevention campaign called Never a Bother, which encourages help-seeking and aims to reduce any stigma surrounding mental health support.[7]
Alongside this, the BrightLife Kids app and Soluna have built-in safety measures and can connect a young person to urgent help whenever it’s needed.
But this side of the CYBHI is more about prevention and awareness, rather than an emergency response tool. This means that in an emergency, you should call the 988 crisis line or 911 directly.
The CYBHI is not a single program for you to enroll in, so how you access support depends on the specific service. Apps like Soluna and BrightLifeKids can be accessed directly, while families enrolled in Medi-Cal can ask their healthcare provider about dyadic services.
School-based services and California mental health resources are accessed through participating schools and districts. The services that the CYBHI in California funds are generally optional, so your child doesn’t have to participate in the program if you or they choose not to.[8]
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
CYBHI coaching and school support are a valuable source of support for your child and can be more than enough to help children get back on track. However, in some cases, the CYBHI may unearth the beginning of something that requires more attention.
In this case, knowing the signs to look out for can help you act at the right time and in the right way. Some signs that may indicate more intensive treatment could be helpful include:[9]
If you’ve noticed any of these signs, it doesn’t automatically mean that something is seriously wrong. Instead, view them as pointers that your child may benefit from a professional assessment or more comprehensive treatment. This could be through evidence-based therapies with a qualified clinician, for example.
It’s also important to trust your instinct here, too. For example, if you feel as though your child is showing signs that an app or a school session can’t help, speak with a professional. There’s never a wrong time to reach out for help with your child’s mental health, and a specialist will be able to assess what’s going on and recommend the right level of care.
If a professional assessment points to a further level of care, it’s common to feel uneasy about what that means. The best way to understand this is to first appreciate how the process works.
A California youth mental health assessment isn’t a test that can be passed or failed. Instead, it’s more of a conversation with your child. A clinician spends time getting to know them and what they’ve been going through so support can match their personal needs. If the situation calls for it, your child may also be screened for trauma if the symptoms started after a traumatic event.
The setting in which treatment is carried out is another important area to determine. In a lot of cases, this could be outpatient support, where the child attends regular sessions while they carry on living at home. For children going through something more serious, a residential treatment setting may be suggested. This is a safe and structured place where your child can focus fully on getting better, supported by around-the-clock care.
Regardless of the setting, evidence-based talk therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), help your child to understand their feelings and build effective coping methods.
Where it would truly help, medication is sometimes part of the picture too, though that’s always a careful decision made with you, never something rushed into.
Take a tour of our teen residential mental health facilities located in California. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where teenagers, aged 12-17, can relax and focus on themselves.
Our well-appointed facilities are located in Bonsall, Fallbrook, Rancho Palos Verdes
and Rolling Hills Estates.
Additionally, we offer both in-person and virtual outpatient services in California for full support after leaving residential.
If your teen is struggling with mental health issues, support is available. At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we offer tailored treatment programs that incorporate evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change for adolescents and their families.
Our care ranges from flexible outpatient programs through to residential treatment, carried out by a team of expert clinicians. We support young people whose needs have grown beyond what the support in place can help with.
Our locations in California and across the country are an important part of the treatment process at Mission Prep Teen Treatment. We believe it’s critical for teens to have a safe and welcoming environment to build the tools they need to facilitate healing.
We understand that reaching this point can feel very difficult, and picking up the phone may not be easy. There’s no pressure in reaching out to us, and doing so doesn’t commit you to anything. Instead, look at it as a chance to talk things through with people who understand and to get a clearer sense of what would help your child.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Learn more about our admissions process online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
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