News Brief
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 — 8:12 am
June 3, 2026
San Luis Obispo County is expanding support for student mental health through a new grant program that will provide $300,000 to high schools to strengthen on-campus wellness services, county officials announced on Monday.
Through the Pathways to Student Wellness initiative, eight high schools will each receive $37,500 from California’s Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSSA), to expand services offered at campus wellness centers. Wellness centers will also report student outcomes twice a year to identify gaps in access and mental health trends.
“Expanding behavioral health and social-emotional learning services on school campuses through wellness centers creates meaningful opportunities for students to access support where they learn and grow every day,” Mandee Culbert, county behavioral health supervisor, said in a news release.
Awardees include Arroyo Grande High School, Atascadero High School, Morro Bay High School, Nipomo High School and Central Coast New Tech High School, Paso Robles High School, San Luis Obispo High School, Shandon High School and Templeton High School.
“A highlight this year has been a number of students who self-referred for assistance with substance use and were able to receive that support through our behavioral health staff,” said Austin Miller, a school social worker who oversees the San Luis Obispo High School Wellness Center. “This pathway for support speaks volumes to the collaboration between behavioral health services and the wellness center as a resource students and families trust.”
The investment follows California’s $4.9 billion expansion of school-based mental health support through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, which also began rolling out Medi-Cal and private health insurance reimbursement to help fund mental health support staff in schools.
“By securing and distributing these BHSSA resources, the County aims to complement existing local investments in California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative,” said Frank Warren, interim county behavioral health director. “This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in the long-term wellbeing of children, students, and families throughout San Luis Obispo County.”
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