Schools Can Hire Wellness Coaches, Thanks to $8.4M Grant

Thanks to an $8.4 million federal grant announced last week, more mental health services will be available to school districts in Alameda County this coming school year.

Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) officials said the funding would help hire "wellness coaches," a new, certified role that acts as the first line of defense in providing behavioral and mental health support to students, including screening, individual and group support, health promotion, care coordination, and referrals to counseling, therapists, and other professional mental health services.

Starting this fall, an estimated 90 certified wellness coaches, 25 interns, and 45 supervisors at more than 135 school sites are expected to be hired in at least 14 districts and a handful of county-operated schools.

Wellness coaches will be hired at two levels – one will require an associate's degree, while another will require a bachelor's degree. These coaches will be placed at the district level everywhere, from preschool programs to high school campuses across Alameda County, as well as in ACOE-run programs for expelled and probation-involved youth. 

Historically, schools have offered mental and wellness support through other means, such as paraeducators or family and community engagement personnel, but without the ability to receive reimbursement.

ACOE officials say this grant funding will also help jump-start the process of hiring wellness coaches in the long term until individual school districts can seek reimbursement from the state on their own through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative.

“This opportunity allows us to begin closing a historic gap in providing much-needed prevention and behavioral health services to students and families attending schools in Alameda County,” said Kristin Nelson, Director of Behavioral Health Services.

Alameda County has 18 public school districts that serve more than 215,000 students and 12,000 teachers. 

The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) provided the grant to ACOE.