Yolo County is experiencing a significant rise in youth mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and trauma, as well as recognized gaps in early identification. These needs were identified as part of the Yolo County Roadmap to the Future Needs Assessment. Because traditional teacher referrals often miss "hidden" internalizing struggles like anxiety and depression, and outside stressors like food or housing insecurity, implementing universal behavioral health screening is a critical first step to getting students the help they need.

To address this, Yolo County Office of Education launched a multi-year initiative to improve access to behavioral health care for all students, regardless of the resources available at their individual schools. Funded by a 2024 Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSSA) grant, Yolo Health and Human Services (HHSA) is partnering with YCOE and all five Yolo County School Districts to help schools adopt a streamlined set of evidence-based screening tools. This proactive approach catches issues early and is highly cost-effective, potentially reducing a school's financial burden by up to 20% by preventing crises from becoming severe and disabling (MHSOAC Report). Ultimately, this project will strengthen the accuracy of school referrals and ensure timely, consistent support for students exhibiting both externalizing and internalizing needs.

• Counting What Counts: Opportunities for school-based  universal behavioral health screening - A report from the Commission for Behavioral Health

• Best Practices in Universal Screening for Social, Emotional, Behavioral Outcomes: An Implementation Guide 2026

• A roadmap to equitable school mental health screening - An article from the Journal of School Psychology