Santa Cruz City Schools

Terms to know:

Behavioral Health: This term encompasses mental health and substance use treatment. There are several levels of care available in Santa Cruz County ranging from private practitioners to safety net services.

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Integrated Health: This term refers to local medical clinics who incorporate mental health into their primary care practice. Mental health specialists are employed directly by the clinic and are available to patients of the clinic.

The referral to mental health is made by the primary care physician often by having the mental health professional available during the primary care visit so the connection is made in person, in the moment.

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Safety Net Services: This refers to services available to students who do not have insurance. Some of the students are on Medi Cal while others may not have any insurance. The safety net services will assist families with enrollment in Medi Cal.

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If you have health insurance you will want to work with your network of providers and your primary care physician to access mental health or substance use services. Check your insurance card for mental health benefits and phone numbers or speak with your primary care physician for a referral. The Affordable Care Act guarantees mental health coverage. However, families may have deductibles or co-pays that make it un-affordable. In this case see our sliding scale providers.