Preparing for CYBHI (Step 2 of 9): Evaluating Vendors
Welcome back to our series, “9 Steps for School Districts to Prepare for CYBHI.” If you haven’t yet read Step 1 – CYBHI Office Hours, we recommend reading it here. Today, we’re focusing on Step 2: Evaluating Vendors.
Once your district has enrolled in the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) and attended office hours, the next critical step is ensuring you have the right systems in place to manage reimbursements quickly and efficiently.
Evaluating Your Current System
One of the most important questions you can ask at this stage is: “How soon can our system start submitting and receiving CYBHI reimbursements?”
Many districts are trying to adapt their existing LEA BOP (Local Education Agency Billing Option Program) systems to handle CYBHI billing. But while you wait for answers—or patch together workarounds—valuable reimbursements may be slipping through the cracks.
CYBHI has opened doors to funding streams many districts have never accessed before. Every day without a compliant system in place is potentially lost revenue—funds that could help sustain mental health services for your students.
The good news: CYBHI billing providers qualify under the CYBHI Capacity Grant. That means the best and fastest way to access CYBHI reimbursement is through a third-party vendor. But not just any vendor will do.
How to Evaluate a CYBHI Vendor
Choosing the right partner to support your CYBHI reimbursements can make all the difference. Here are six key areas to consider:
1. Proven CYBHI Experience
Look for a vendor who has already implemented CYBHI solutions for LEAs.
- Have they successfully submitted CYBHI claims? Do they have working relationships with Carelon and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)?
Experience isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential.
An experienced vendor understands CYBHI’s complex requirements and can tailor their system and approach to your district’s unique processes. You need a partner who can guide you with confidence because they’ve already done this work.
2. Designed for School-Based Processes
Your platform should feel intuitive to K-12 staff—because it was built with them in mind.
- Is the system designed specifically for school-based workflows?
- Does it make life easier for both your credentialed and clinical staff?
If your mental health professionals are expected to learn a new system, it needs to save them time, not add to their workload. The right system should allow them to focus more on providing care and less on paperwork.
3. Role-Based Functionality
Directors and supervisors have different needs than frontline mental health staff. A strong CYBHI platform should offer role-based permissions and capabilities that reflect these differences.
- Can your directors and supervisors track performance and manage claims while clinical staff have simplified access to documentation and billing workflows?
- If you work with third-party providers or Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), can the system support their involvement seamlessly?
A system that adapts to all stakeholders makes for smoother operations.
4. Communication Tools & Best Practices
CYBHI is new, and parents and staff may have questions and concerns. Your vendor should offer more than just technology.
- Do they provide communication templates, guides, and best practices to help you explain CYBHI to families and staff?
- Can they help demystify the process of collecting insurance information from students?
The right partner helps your district communicate clearly and confidently about CYBHI's benefits, ensuring everyone understands the “why” and the “how.”
5. Onboarding, Training, and Ongoing Support
Getting started with CYBHI can feel overwhelming. Training and support are key.
Ask potential vendors:
- Do they offer live or in-person onboarding?
- Will they tailor the training to your staff’s roles and responsibilities?
- What kind of ongoing support is available once the system goes live?
CYBHI is evolving. Your vendor should be a steady presence—offering answers when you need them and updates as requirements shift.
6. Vendor or True Partner?
With CYBHI, you need more than a vendor who installs software and walks away. You need a partner.
A partner works alongside you to ensure all requirements are met, so you can start receiving reimbursements as soon as possible. They take time to understand your district’s unique needs, adjust workflows, and customize training plans.
A partner listens to your feedback, makes updates to improve the system, and answers your calls and emails—day or night. They’re invested in your success because they know what’s at stake: the well-being of your students.
Why Choosing the Right Partner Matters
CYBHI is a transformative initiative designed to help California’s schools expand access to mental health services. We know that navigating the process of participating can seem a bit overwhelming at times. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right partner for support!
The right partner helps your district secure the funding it deserves—allowing you to:
- Build out critical infrastructure
- Retain and hire staff
- Engage additional service providers
- Provide more care to more students
The wrong vendor, on the other hand, could mean missed opportunities. And when funding is delayed or inaccessible, students ultimately pay the price by missing out on vital support.
At TadHealth, our mission is to make CYBHI work for you. We’re here to ensure your district gets the reimbursements it needs to scale services and support every student’s mental health and well-being. But don’t take our word for it. Watch the video below from Exeter Unified School District on why they chose TadHealth:
Stay tuned for “Step 3 - Prepare for Staff Questions” in our CYBHI preparation series. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about how TadHealth can support your district, we’re here to help.
