Medicaid & School Based Services
Preliminary Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data show the volume and rate of primary, preventive, and mental health services use went down during the pandemic and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that from 2011 to 2021, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased for nearly all youth groups.
Since CMS and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) are committed to children and youth, we have launched a joint effort to expand school-based health services. This effort, the Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS) Technical Assistance Center (TAC), makes sure children have the health services and supports they need to build resilience and thrive.
The TAC helps state Medicaid agencies (SMAs), state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and school-based entities to expand their:
- SBS programs as a way to increase crucial health care access to children enrolled in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and meet Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements
- Health care services to meet children where they are and deliver them in school where children spend a majority of their time
As listed in Section 11003 (a)(2) of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , the TAC:
- Helps and expands the capacity of SMAs, LEAs, and school-based entities to provide assistance under Medicaid
- Reduces administrative burdens for those agencies and health centers or entities
- Supports SEAs, LEAs, and school-based entities to be paid for providing assistance under Medicaid
- Ensures ongoing coordination and collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and ED with respect to the provision of, and payment for, assistance under Medicaid by LEAs
- Informs SEAs, LEAs, and the target audience states about how to use funding from the HHS, ED, and other federal agencies to be paid under Medicaid for assistance in school-based settings
Mental Health Resources
CMS and ED are just two of many federal organizations that offer resources to schools.
For example, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will work with SMAs and any school that wants to partner to expand the use of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline is available to anyone:
- Experiencing suicidal, substance use, a mental health crisis, or all three
- Any other kind of emotional distress
Learn more about how to partner with SAMHSA
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the CDC also offer resources.
SAMHSA Resources
HRSA & SAMHSA Resources
CDC Resources
- CDC Back-to-School Flyer for Parents
- CDC Back-to-School Flyer for Teens
- School Health Services
- Profiles 2020: School Health Profiles
- Community Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence for Youth and Young Adults
- School Mental Health Action Guide for School and District Leaders
Other Resources
- School-Based Health Alliance
- National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
- The National Center for School Mental Health
Contact Us for Help
We offer states technical assistance through the TAC. If you have questions or feedback, please contact us at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.
