Partnering with Local Mental Health Providers to Support Foster Youth in College Toolkit
Students who have experienced foster care and students from other traditionally underserved groups often have difficulty accessing mental health services in the community, even if they have Medi-Cal insurance.
The Partnering with Local Mental Health Providers to Support Foster Youth in College Toolkit highlights an innovative strategy to leverage existing funding and connect these students to community mental health services, at no extra cost to the college.
In 2018-2020, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) led a multi-year effort with 11 community colleges to co-locate services and establish strong referral pathways with community providers.
The new toolkit is designed to help other California community colleges replicate their success. It explores:
- The basics and benefits of this model
- How to engage students, staff, and partners
- What’s needed to co-locate services on campus
- How to strengthen the partnership with MOUs and referral systems
- The impacts of COVID-19
- And more!