Sutter supes OK grant funding for student mental health services

Jan. 13—The Sutter County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement Tuesday to accept $2 million in grant funding that would bolster mental health services available to students in Sutter and Yuba counties.

The agreement, between the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health, allows for $2,215,438 in grant funding through the Mental Health Student Services Act to provide for a mental health Mobile Access Hub for schools throughout both counties.

The grant, which will fund the period between Feb. 1 and Jan. 31, 2026, will enable direct access on school campuses for those who may need mental health services and help reduce any limitations of transportation that may exist. The Yuba County Office of Education is the lead agency for the grant.

According to a staff report, the Mental Health Student Services Act, enacted through Senate Bill 75 in 2019, "provides $40 million one-time and $10 million ongoing funding." The act, the staff report says, "was established as a mental health partnership competitive grant program for the purpose of establishing mental health partnerships between a county's mental health or behavioral health department and school districts, charter schools, and the county office of education within the county."

Rick Bingham, assistant director of Health and Human Services, said students currently receive assessment and triage by going to Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health or another health provider.

According to Bingham, Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health met with the Yuba County Office of Education and Sutter County Superintendent of Schools to help develop the idea of the mental health access program.

"We had some brainstorming sessions with representatives from all of the schools and school districts ... in Sutter and Yuba counties," Bingham said during Tuesday's meeting. "So, what came out of those meetings was a desire to establish this Mobile Access Hub. The Mobile Access Hub would establish the ability for clinicians to go to school campuses in both counties and do on-campus triage and assessment ... to meet the needs of individuals who may be displaying symptoms of mental illness. One of the benefits is it will increase access points."

Bingham said mental health outreach and education also is a part of the Mobile Access Hub program. He said about 39,500 students in Yuba and Sutter counties would benefit from the program and that there would be no impact on the general fund, as all money would be provided by the grant.

"I'm excited to see this," said District 1 Supervisor Nick Micheli. "As you know, in this country ... if you can identify problems in young ones early on, will be amazing. If this ever prevents just one school shooting, then it's money well spent."

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