LBUSD board approves contract for 24/7 assistance with finding mental health services for students, staff
By SARA HALL
Last week, the Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Trustees unanimously approved a contract with a company to provide 24/7 assistance to students, families, and staff with finding mental health services and programs.
Board members voted 5-0 on Thursday (March 9) in support of the $13,000 agreement with Care Solace, Inc., to provide students, families and all staff members confidential 24/7 web-based, email, telephone, or text-based support to search, identify and secure initial intake appointments with qualified local licensed mental health providers. The service starts on March 15 and will be provided through June 30, 2024. It’s funded through the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant.
Board President Jan Vickers noted that the service agreement supports one of the board’s goals: Foster social-emotional competencies and self-identity through student agency, engagement and positive relationships.
“This is a continual emphasis on what we moved up as a high priority in this district,” she said, “the emotional health (and) mental health of our students and our staff.”
Board member Kelly Osborne noted that while the students are their top priority, this is an important service for LBUSD staff as well. There have been some tragic recent events in nearby school districts, she noted, referencing a Huntington Beach school principal who died by suicide at Disneyland in December. She’s heard from other districts and trustees that this is a valuable and beneficial service, Osborne said.
And, at about $4 per student, per year to connect to health care professionals, it’s a good deal, she added.
It’s very cost affordable, agreed Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Chad Mabery.
LBUSD’s school-based mental health team brought the program forward.
Care Solace works with more than 600 school districts in 34 states across the country.
“We’ve been looking at the work they’ve been doing, really it’s an enhancement to our current program,” of working with families and making referrals, Mabery said. “They provide that personalized, concierge service that helps them get them from a recommendation to someone that matches up with their insurance.”
They’ve seen it be successful in other school districts and wanted to offer to LBUSD students and staff, he said.

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
The board approved a service agreement for 24/7 assistance to find mental health services for LBUSD students and staff
Currently, Laguna Beach Unified School District keeps a local external service provider referral list of licensed mental health providers. If a student or family needed licensed mental health care that extends beyond the scope of practice for school-based services, LBUSD staff would refer parents through their insurance provider and/or three or more local licensed providers.
“One of the most important aspects of effective mental health systems of care is ensuring that individuals in need of services get connected to qualified care in a timely manner,” LBUSD staff explain in the details of the agenda item. “This is especially true when students or families are in need of services that extend beyond the scope of practice for school-based mental health care.”
Parents were tasked with setting appointments and any follow-up. According to the agenda item details, school-based providers reported substantial wait-list times for external providers extending into weeks and months with some local providers.
Care Solace will help find and secure initial intake appointments with qualified local licensed mental health providers. The team provides an individual service from a trained care companion to partner with the student, parent, or staff member to complete the handoff between the school district and the external licensed mental health services provider.
“Care Solace is not a direct mental health service provider, however, they fulfill an important service in the continuum of care to ensure that students, families, or staff successfully navigate the complexity of securing licensed mental health care,” LBUSD staff explains in the agenda details.
The agreement includes a custom-branded LBUSD Care Solace web page and a unique phone number for publication on all district and local school site resource pages. The process includes a brief screening, matching with local providers, booking appointments and checking in with the consumer to ensure match satisfaction. All providers are vetted through a constant verification process with state agency licensing boards, Better Business Bureau ratings and family feedback.
Across the U.S., Care Solace has served 15 million students, staff and family members. The company serves 46% of the total K-12 student population within California.
“Schools are overwhelmed with the increased demand for mental health support,” Care Solace officials note on the company website. “We help school districts address the mental health crisis.”
The service agreement is prorated for the rest of the 2023 school year, with a full-year commitment from July 1 to the end of the 2024 school year.
The funding source identified as the Learning Recovery Block Grant supports county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools for learning recovery initiatives that, at a minimum, support academic learning recovery, and staff and pupil social and emotional well-being.
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Sara Hall covers City Hall and is a regular contributor to Stu News Laguna.