by Juliane Matignas
Perry Chen, Blue Shield of California | photo credit: Vita Vivet Film Productions and the California School-Based Health Alliance
One in five U.S. adolescents has a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition, according to the 2023 National Survey of Children’s Health. That’s more than 5.3 million teens facing challenges such as anxiety, depression or other behavioral conditions — issues that lead to academic struggles, absenteeism and trouble making or keeping friends.
To meet this crisis head-on, school-based partnerships are emerging as one of the most effective solutions. Integrating mental and behavioral health services directly into schools ensures care is accessible, timely and connected to a young person’s daily life.
That approach was at the center of the 2025 School Health Conference, hosted in April by the California School-Based Health Alliance. Themed “The Power of Partnerships,” the event brought together over 800 educators, clinicians, advocates and policymakers to share strategies that prioritize youth health and wellness through collaboration.
Blue Shield of California, a proud sponsor of the conference, spotlighted its BlueSky youth mental health initiative. Launched in 2019, BlueSky works to increase access to care and support the adults who work with youth. To date, BlueSky has supported over 20,000 youth and educators with programs for therapy, training and youth advocacy.
“We believe that investing in school-based health is investing in the future — ensuring every child has access to the care they need to learn, grow and thrive,” said Perry Chen, director of Corporate Citizenship at Blue Shield of California, who moderated an all-conference session at the event, titled Harnessing the Power of Partnerships to Move the Needle on Key Challenges. “When we care for the health of our students, we invest in the promise of tomorrow.”
Thomas Tran, Blue Shield Promise, and Ron Tanimura, LAUSD
Working together to expand Medi-Cal access in Los Angeles
One standout collaboration discussed at the conference is between Blue Shield Promise Health Plan and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), an alliance that is expanding access to Medi-Cal and other health-related services for students and their families. The nation’s second largest district, LAUSD spans 710 square miles and serves over 400,000 students — more than half of whom qualify for Medi-Cal. The district receives over $50 million annually in Medi-Cal funding, supporting a wide range of services from physical health to mental and behavioral care.
Blue Shield Promise is working with the district to make it easier for families to access and maintain Medi-Cal coverage through a coordinated outreach and enrollment effort. This includes:
- 13 support sites where families can get in-person help with applying for or renewing Medi-Cal benefits
- Over 30 trained enrollment assistors offering support over the phone or face-to-face
In addition, the collaboration connects families with services for housing, food and emotional support. The value of this network was especially evident when wildfires hit Los Angeles County in January. Blue Shield Promise and LAUSD mobilized staff, delivered emergency supplies and connected families to critical relief resources.
“These strategic alliances between school-based health centers and Medi-Cal programs, such as Blue Shield Promise, are more important than ever,” said Thomas Tran, director of strategic partnerships at Blue Shield Promise. “We’re working together to leverage and optimize the work we are already doing to better serve students and families with all of their needs.”
Learn more about Blue Shield Promise news here.
Learn more about Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky program here.
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