funders briefing

How Expanding School-Based Medicaid Can Support Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing

The Current Opportunity and the Role of Funders

Join us to learn how expanding school-based Medicaid can be a game changer for supporting youth wellbeing—and how funders can help catalyze action.

Past Event

DATE

June 27, 2024

TIME

2-3p ET / 11a-noon PT

LOCATION

Virtual

Thanks to everyone who attended our June 27 program. This program was for funders only—if you are a funder and are interested in learning more about the opportunity to support expansion of school-based Medicaid to support youth mental health and wellbeing, please email GTY’s Lead Facilitator Kathleen Traphagen at ktraphagen@thrivingyouth.org.

Resources

Map showing the status of each state’s school-based Medicaid expansion
Recent grants from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to states for expanding school-based Medicaid

Summary

Schools and districts across the US are contending with sunsetting COVID relief funds, rising costs and intensifying student need for mental and behavioral health, academic, and SEL supports.

One solution is to tap into sustained federal funding for youth wellbeing by expanding Medicaid school-based services.

Congress, the Department of Education, the Biden Administration and the Center for Medicaid Services are aligned in their effort to expand school-based Medicaid—but states need to take several steps to make this happen.

Join us to learn how expanding school-based Medicaid can be a game changer for supporting youth well-being—and how funders can help catalyze action.

GTY’s webinars and funder learning opportunities are made possible through the time and expertise of presenters from the field. In the spirit of transparency, GTY will make available the list of webinar participants to presenters upon request, unless the registrant requests to remain anonymous (please indicate your preference via the registration form).

Speakers

Sarah Broome

Schmidt Innovation Fellow

In 2011, Sarah Broome founded and ran one of Louisiana’s most innovative schools – a residential program for high needs students. In the following years, she focused on growing the schools wrap around supports – specifically mental health supports. Through that process, she learned to use the complex school-based Medicaid program to provide sustainable funding for these services. Now, as a Schmidt Innovation Fellow, she spends her time helping states and schools use Medicaid to effectively fund school support services.

Elizabeth Duncan

Education Program Consultant, Healthy Schools, Louisiana Department of Education

Elizabeth Duncan, OTR/L,  joined the Louisiana Department of Education to assist schools with recoupment of Medicaid funds.   Her role is to connect with LEAs, assist in clearing barriers to claiming and create new pathways to increasing staff and health services to students. Duncan is a licensed Occupational Therapist and provided OT to students for 30 years prior to joining the LDOE.

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