Mount Diablo Unified School District has placed an outpatient therapist at each of its five comprehensive high schools for the 2026-27 school year. The expansion puts school-based mental health services within reach of the district's roughly 29,000 students.
Northgate High School in Walnut Creek and the four other comprehensive campuses each now pair a Wellness Center with a dedicated therapist. Three middle schools (El Dorado, Oak Grove and Riverview) and Olympic Continuation High School also operate Wellness Centers, according to the district.
"We had about 30 referrals last year that we could not serve, so we increased the number of therapists this year to be able to service all students," said Jessica Pozos, assistant director of MDUSD's Mental Health Programs, in a Friday, Aug. 28 district letter.
The district hired more mental health clinical specialists and therapist trainees than in any prior year. Funding comes partly through the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a statewide program exceeding $4 billion over five years. Under CYBHI, health plans and insurers reimburse schools for covered mental health services at no out-of-pocket cost to families.
Statewide, the CYBHI fee schedule program had generated more than 230,000 reimbursement claims and $11.3 million in new revenue for school-linked services as of spring 2026, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom's office.
What the centers handle
During the 2025-26 school year, more than 1,000 MDUSD students received social-emotional, behavioral, academic and mental health support through Wellness Centers. About 1,080 received more intensive help, including counseling for anxiety, grief, anger and peer connections. Nearly 70 students received crisis support for urgent needs.
Issues addressed at the centers include anxiety, depression, self-harm, trauma and concerns related to social media, according to the district.
Every MDUSD school also has a CARE team. These groups of administrators, counselors, psychologists, special education teachers and outside providers meet regularly to discuss students needing support. Staff, parents or students can refer anyone to the team.
Northgate's Wellness Center
At Northgate, social worker Merritt Rollins staffs the Wellness Center. The campus of roughly 1,600 students and staff also has five certified service dogs, including Rollins' schnoodle, Idgy.
"Students will come in just to see her, and when she gets to know people, she'll kind of run over when they walk in, and she'll just roll on her back," Rollins told the Northgate Sentinel in March.
The Walnut Creek School District is separately participating in CYBHI, collecting insurance information to seek reimbursements for its own school-based wellness services. All services remain free to families.
What's ahead for families
MDUSD plans to hold parent information nights on mental health starting in September. The Contra Costa County Office of Education is also offering a free three-part webinar series, "Supporting Your Children's Mental Health," beginning Thursday, Sept. 3.
Families who want to connect a student with support can contact any school's CARE team or reach Pozos at [email protected] or 925-682-8000, ext. 4054.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
