San Diego Unified School District recognizes the value and importance of student wellness and has committed to making mental health services accessible to ALL students, at EVERY school campus and at NO COST to students or families.
Connecting your student with mental health and wellness services can be as easy as speaking with your school site team—school site administrators, teachers, school counselors, nurses, and wellness center coordinators.
What Level of Support is Right for my Student?
To connect students with the appropriate level of service, the San Diego Unified School District uses a common Referral Pathway. The referral pathway provides guidance on the District's referral process and also shares the available options for support within our District.
What Services are Available?
Social Emotional Skill Building
Wellness Center Coordinators and School Counselors can help students learn and practice social emotional skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, set and achieve goals, promote empathy, develop and maintain healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions. These skills provide a foundation for students to interact and feel connected with their peers and school community, while developing tools to self-advocate and take initiative.
Wellness Coordinators are currently available to support students and families onsite at middle and high schools within the following clusters:
- Canyon Hills
- Mira Mesa
- Mission Bay
- Morse
- San Diego
School Counselors are assigned to every elementary, middle, and high school in our District to support schools, students, and families.
Services are divided by district communities (also known as clusters). For more information on services available for your school, select your community from the provided list:
Mental Health Services
When social emotional needs are not able to be fully addressed or if the needs become greater and more complex, students may benefit from speaking with a mental health clinician. Connecting with a mental health clinician allows the student to build upon their social emotional skills and explore their thoughts, feelings, and behavior at a deeper level.
Mental Health Clinicians are available at all elementary, middle, and high school sites to support needs associated with a mental health concern.
How to Access Onsite Mental Health Services
Students are able to access on campus behavioral health services using their health insurance, in the same way that they can access medical and mental health services within the community. Access and eligibility may depend on factors such as family income, insurance type, and severity of symptoms. Below are resources created by the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services explaining how outpatient mental health services can be accessed at school and within the community:
County BHS Posters
Who are the Available Onsite Mental Health Service Providers?
SchooLink Medi-Cal Providers
Students with Medi-Cal Insurance, or who are uninsured or underinsured within their current health insurance plans are eligible for SchooLink Medi-Cal services. In partnership with the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services (BHS), San Diego Unified can refer students to the SchooLink network of mental health clinicians, who can offer mental health services at designated school sites, within the home, and in the community.
School Counselors and Wellness Center Coordinators can assist students and families with referrals.
County of SD SchooLink Provider Assignments by School Site
SchooLink Flyers
CYBHI / District Funded Mental Health Providers
ALL students—regardless of insurance status—have access to an onsite mental health clinician across all San Diego Unified campuses. Beginning in 2020, San Diego Unified partnered with seven community-based agencies to offer NO COST onsite mental health support for those not eligible for SchooLink services.
Beginning in July 2025, San Diego Unified joined school districts across California in participating in the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Program. Schools across California now have an opportunity to seek reimbursement from Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans and Private Insurance companies to ensure long-term sustainability, accessibility and ongoing availability of these mental health and wellness services for all students. Students participating in the CYBHI program can continue to access onsite mental health clinicians at NO COST to students and families using their health insurance. Health insurance benefits are NOT impacted by participating in CYBHI at school.
SDUSD CYBHI Provider Assignment by School Site
SDUSD CYBHI Website