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Board approves wellness coach roles to expand school-based mental-health billing
Summary
Trustees approved two wellness coach job descriptions to pilot mental-health services that can be billed to Medi-Cal and private insurers; administrators said parental consent will be required and the district expects revenue recovery potential from existing Medi-Cal billing.
The Marysville Joint Unified School District board on March 10 approved job descriptions and salary schedules for two wellness coach positions designed to expand school-based mental-health services and enable the district to bill Medi-Cal and, where applicable, private insurance.
Deputy Superintendent Gabe Simon and Wakita Wilson, coordinator in special education, described wellness coach 1 as an entry-level role and wellness coach 2 as a higher-level position; the plan is to pilot one FTE of each across select campuses (wellness coach 1 at Reeva Gardens and wellness coach 2 at Marysville High School). Administrators said the positions target students who do not have IEPs and that parental authorization will be obtained before services or billing.
Board members asked whether the positions are ongoing or temporary; administrators said they expect the roles to be ongoing. The district reported close to $5 million in Medi-Cal reimbursements in prior years and said the wellness coaches would help the district expand billing for services to students with Medi-Cal and private insurance, generating revenue to sustain the program.
Speakers emphasized that consent processes and billing protocols are in place; Wakita Wilson said parents must sign authorization to provide services and to bill insurance except in the limited case when a student 13 or older can consent under state law. Trustees voted to approve the wellness coach job descriptions; the motions passed with the recorded outcome indicated in the minutes.
