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District unveils STATS pilot to keep students in-district while treating acute mental-health needs
Summary
SMMUSD staff proposed STATS, a short-term (6–8 week) therapeutic-academic pilot for grades 6–12 to keep students enrolled locally while providing clinical care; partners include UCLA and a billing vendor to access Medi‑Cal reimbursements. The board asked clarifying questions and expressed support for a planned August launch.
SANTA MONICA — District staff presented a plan for a short-term academic and therapeutic supports program called STATS designed to stabilize students with acute emotional or behavioral needs while keeping them enrolled in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
Victoria Hurst, joined by Dr. Frank Dusan, described STATS as a 6–8 week (extendable to 10–12 weeks when needed) pilot for grades 6–12 that combines clinical services and continuing academic instruction. Hurst said the program will be housed at the Obama campus and will include daily individual therapy, structured group supports, family/dyadic therapy and evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and DBT-informed approaches. "This is a short term therapeutic space for students to pause, reflect, and recover," Hurst said.
The presenters said STATS is intended to prevent students from being placed in nonpublic schools (NPS) or residential treatment centers (RTCs), where academic continuity often breaks down. Dr. Dusan outlined initial capacity and cost projections, saying the district would pilot with 8–10 students and that preventing a small number of outplacements could save the district materially: "We think that if we prevent even, like, 5 students from going to an NPS or an RTC ... we'll be saving an average of $600,000 per year." He added that initial annual operating costs are projected to be under $400,000 for the pilot cohort.
Funding and billing were a central focus. Presenters said the program will be designed as a clinical space whose reimbursable services can be billed through Medi‑Cal and insurance using a clearinghouse vendor (Todd Health). They described draft MOUs with local nonprofits and a potential steering and evaluation partnership with UCLA's Department of Psychiatry and neuroscience research units.
Board members pressed for specifics on eligibility, capacity, and evaluation. Trustee Jen Smith asked whether services would translate across ages; presenters answered that clinical individualization and group programming would be tailored and that the program targets students for whom typical school-based supports have not succeeded. The team said the goal is a launch in August, pending final agreements and staffing.
A parent invited to speak, Mr. Riggs, said the proposal resonated with his family's experience and urged the board to prioritize continuity and district-based care: "I wish this had happened 2 years ago because it would have made an important impact on my daughter's social emotional growth and her educational learning and journey." Members thanked staff for the comprehensive plan and largely signaled support while requesting follow-up materials on budget, referral criteria, safety protocols, and the UCLA evaluation timeline.
Next steps the presenters identified included finalizing MOUs with community providers, completing architecture and design work for the Obama campus space, confirming a clinical director and lead counselor, formalizing the billing process with Todd Health, and returning to the board with operational and fiscal details.
