California Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSSA) Evaluation  

Examining systems change work is a complex process that requires researchers and their partners to engage in evaluation design, data analysis, and sense-making with the communities they aim to serve. 

Purpose

The Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSSA) aims to improve the behavioral health and wellbeing of California’s young people by providing funding and support to county behavioral health department and local education agency partnerships. This investment is a component of California’s broader interest in building effective and sustainable school behavioral health systems. 

WestEd, in partnership with the Commission for Behavioral Health, is leading a statewide evaluation to learn about how this substantial investment has strengthened systems that sustain schools as centers of wellness in California. The evaluation was codesigned with BHSSA grantees, community partners, and youths.

Audiences Served

The evaluation will inform funding decisions, shine a spotlight on successes, and identify areas for growth—all to build stronger school behavioral health systems across the state of California. 

Project Activities

The evaluation includes five components:   

• Ongoing Community Engagement with youths and other partners to collect data insights 

• Contextual Descriptive Analysis to describe behavioral health services and needs in the state 
• Process and Systems Change Analysis based on survey results and monitoring data from BHSSA partnerships 
• Grant Partnership Case Studies that describe how BHSSA funds were used 
• School Case Studies that share insights from behavioral health professionals, educators, families, and youths 

Project Director

Natalie Romer

Natalie Romer is a Senior Associate on WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team. Her work includes technical assistance, research, evaluation, and training focused on developing effective and efficient systems to support the social and emotional well-being of school communities.

Nicole Tirado-Strayer

Nicole Tirado-Strayer is a senior research associate and an applied developmental psychologist with over 15 years of experience in participatory program and policy evaluation. Tirado-Strayer conducts evaluations of systems change initiatives in the education and mental/behavioral health fields.

Funder

This project is funded by the California Commission for Behavioral Health. 

Project Duration

July 2025–June 2027