Mental Health Consultative Services FAQs

General

1. What are mental health consultative services (MHCS)?

   California's Education Code (EC) Section 8243 outlines the framework for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) services within the state's preschool programs. The primary intent of EC Section 8243 is to provide mental health consultation services that benefit children enrolled in California State Preschool Programs (CSPP). These services are aimed to:

   • Improve interpersonal relationships and child outcomes.
   • Increase the confidence, competence, and well-being of educators and caregivers.
   • Eliminate suspensions and expulsions in early childhood settings.
     
     

   All CSPP contractors who elect to implement ECMHC services to support teaching staff and families by helping to address challenging behaviors in the classroom or family child care home setting, may claim an adjustment factor of 0.10, pursuant to EC Section 8244.

2. What are eligible MHCS?

   MHCS include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

   • Support for caregivers: Create trauma-informed, proactive, and inclusive environments, and respond effectively to all children.
   • Assistance through consultations: Offering of resources, training plans, referrals, and other methods tailored to the unique needs of programs and providers.
   • Skill Development and Collaboration: Assistance to providers, parents, legal guardians, and caregivers in developing the skills and tools necessary to support children's development and early learning. This includes observing environments, creating action plans, and supporting their implementation.
   • Strategies for addressing prevalent child mental health concerns: Development of strategies to address prevalent child mental health concerns, such as internalizing (e.g., withdrawal) and externalizing (e.g., persistent and serious behaviors).
   • Support for maintaining children's safe participation: Providing support and documentation for maintaining a child's safe participation in the program if they exhibit persistent and serious behaviors.
   • Communication through various methods: Face-to-face interactions or video-based platforms and other modes of communication that are compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), such as the telephone.
   • Group or individual consultations based on the above actions.

    

3. Who can provide MHCS to receive additional reimbursement?

   In order to receive the additional 0.10 adjustment, MHCS must be provided by the following professionals:

   • Licensed Mental Health Professionals: This includes marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, professional clinical counselors, psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, credentialed school counselors, or school psychologists. These professionals must have at least three years of experience working with children aged zero to five, training in infant, family, and early childhood mental health, adequate insurance, a minimum of two years holding their license, and be up to date with all continuing education requirements.
   • License-Eligible Professionals: These are individuals who are eligible for licensure as marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, professional clinical counselors, psychologists, or child and adolescent psychiatrists. They must be supervised by someone who meets all the criteria mentioned above.
   • Master’s Degree Holders: Individuals with at least a master’s degree in a related field (like mental health or human services) and at least two years of experience working with children aged zero to five. They also need to be supervised by a qualified professional as described above.
   • Supervisors: Qualified professionals who meet all the criteria can supervise license-eligible individuals. They can be employees of a contracting agency, work part-time, or be external contractors, as long as they provide regular professional guidance and support.

    

Requirements

1. What documentation is required to be retained by the contractor when reporting child days of enrollment within the MHCS adjustment factor categories?

   To report child days of enrollment within the MHCS adjustment factor categories, the following documents must be on file:

   • License of the early childhood mental health consultant professional and the contract/agreement or job description for the early childhood mental health consultant professional.
   • Detailed documentation of the specific Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) services that the licensed professional is providing, including the types of challenging behaviors or problems in the classroom or family childcare home setting.
   • Contractor's plan to provide ECMHC services, including frequency of services to be provided.
     

   
   Contractors should reference Management Bulletin (MB) 19-02 for the requirements for retention of documentation.

2. What are the requirements for reimbursement?

    Costs related to Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) services are reimbursable if all of the following apply:
   

   • Services must be provided regularly and consistently throughout the program year significantly contributing to:
     • Improving interpersonal relationships and child outcomes.
     • Increasing the confidence, competence, and well-being of those consulted.
     • Eliminating suspensions and expulsions.
   • Services are provided by an early childhood mental health consultant per statute.
   • The consultation service should use a relationship-based model that emphasizes strengthening relationships among early childhood education providers, parents, children and community representatives. It should also integrate reflective practice into the onsite consultation model. This model includes:
     • Conducting mental health assessments in early care and education settings at least twice per program year, using tools like the "Climate of Healthy Interactions for Learning & Development (CHILD)" or similar.
     • Keeping records that adequately document all consultation activities.
     • With parental or guardian consent, screening each enrolled child at least once for adverse childhood experiences and resilience factors.
   • Within the first 30 days upon hire or start of consultation service, a provider agency ensures that a consultant is trained in the following four areas:
     • California law and professional ethics for ECMHC.
     • Child abuse and neglect mandated reporting laws.
     • Best practices and foundations of ECMHC.
     • All relevant laws and regulations regarding state and federal childcare programs.

   • Consultants and supervisors shall participate in continuing professional development and education for at least 18 hours per program year. Topics may include, but are not limited to, infant-family and early childhood mental health, implicit bias and equity, trauma-informed practice, early childhood development, and consultation.

    

Adjustment Factors

1. How does the MHCS adjustment factor differ from the other adjustment factors?

   The California Department of Education (CDE) has developed specific MHCS adjustment factor categories within the Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Reports that includes the additional 0.10 adjustment. The chart below displays how MHCS Adjustment Factors differ from the Non-MHCS.
   

   Example of How MHCS Adjustment Factors Differ from Non-MHCS Factors

   Adjustment Factor Category	Non-MHCS Adjustment Factor	MHCS Adjustment Factor
   Two Years Old and Three Years Old Full-time	1.8000	1.9000
   Four Years and Older Full-time	1.0000	1.1000
   Exceptional Needs Full-time	2.4000	2.5000
   Dual Language Learner Full-time	1.2000	1.3000
   At Risk of Abuse or Neglect Full-time	1.1000	1.2000
   Severely Disabled Full-time	2.4000	2.5000

Reporting

1. Where do contractors report the child days of enrollment when MHCS are provided?

   Contractors will report the child days of enrollment associated with MHCS in the Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal report form located in the California Preschool Accounting Reporting Information System (CPARIS).

   To report MHCS enrollment and receive an additional MHCS adjustment of 0.10, contractors must select "Yes" to the question at the top of the Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Report in CPARIS: "Did you serve Certified Children receiving MHCS in this Fiscal Year?". Once selected, the MHCS adjustment factor categories will be displayed in the Certified Children with MHCS section. Under no circumstances should a child’s day of enrollment be reported in both MHCS and non-MHCS categories.

2. Do contractors only report the child days of enrollment for the child receiving MHCS on the California Preschool Accounting Reporting Information System (CPARIS) Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal Report?

   No, contractors will report the child days of enrollment for all children served in a classroom or family child care setting with MHCS Recipient(s) under the appropriate MHCS categories.
   

   Example

   In a classroom that has 24 children, if one child is receiving MHCS, the child days of enrollment for all 24 children would be reported under MHCS categories.

   Children who are reported in the MHCS category should not be reported in additional categories on the Enrollment, Attendance, and Fiscal report.

3. Do contractors receive an increase to the contract Maximum Reimbursable Amount (MRA) when reporting child days of enrollment within the MHCS adjustment factor categories?

   No, the MHCS adjustment factors do not increase the contract MRA, pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 8244 (d).

   Contractors must determine how the use of the MHCS adjustment factor categories will affect their current projected contract earnings and budget year target enrollment numbers.