Study of the Mount Diablo Unified School District - Mt. Diablo Unified ...

Service Delivery Options and Continuum of ServicesUsing a rating scale of one (minimal success) to three (substantial success), a review ofstudent achievement in 2008‐09 Mental Health Collaborative reports indicate:• Mental health goals measures ranged from 1.9 to 2.7.• Attendance ranged from 77 percent at Alliance to 95.5 percent at Bel AirOutpatient.• Elementary grade level standards mastery ranged from 1.61 in fifth grade to 2.64in second grade.• Academic scores of one year or greater indicate academic growth, with theexception of Bel Air Outpatient. It should be noted that many studentsparticipating in the Mental Health Collaborative are below grade level in basicacademic skills, particularly at the secondary level.For the 2009‐10 school year, the district hired 20 behavior health specialist positions at acost of $1,530,113. MGT consultants received conflicting reports as to how these positionsare funded or if Medi‐Cal reimbursement cover the costs of these positions. According todocumentation provided by the Contra Costa Health Services, these positions are not paidfor by the $930,952 district match. Further, the behavior health specialist positions pay forthemselves through Medi‐Cal and SB90 claims made by the County.In onsite focus groups, the behavior health specialists indicated that they are employedeight hours per day and are required to be Medi‐Cal billable for five hours per day. Thiswork schedule is also consistent for school psychologists assigned to the Mental HealthCollaborative.While the Mental Health Collaborative documents adequate progress for students, MGTcould not determine benefits to students versus costs to the district. Actual costs arebraided within multiple funding sources with no clear, concise data provided to MGT tosubstantiate the actual costs to the district.The Counseling Enriched Program (CEP) at Sun Terrace School is designed to meet theacademic and behavioral needs of students exhibiting behavioral challenges in either thegeneral education or special education setting. This service delivery model offers academicand behavioral support to students throughout the day. The program consists of twoclassrooms, both designated as fourth/fifth grade combination classes. Both classes aretaught by a special education teacher and two special education instructional assistants.Support staff consists of one full‐time school psychologist, one part‐time behaviorist, andone part‐time social worker. The program currently services up to as many as 22 students.CEP offers counseling, behavior support planning, and case management to all students.While the CEP may be a viable program for students with academic and behavioral needs,the district should consider the benefits to students versus the costs to the district. TheMGT of America, Inc. Page 3‐25