Breaking Barriers California

(Youth-led Session)

This youth-led learning session, "Youth Are At the Table: Now What?," explores the real experiences of young leaders engaging in shared leadership spaces. Through storytelling and reflection, youth presenters will share what worked and what was missing in their experiences with shared leadership. The session highlights practical recommendations to ensure youth participation is meaningful, not tokenized, and includes time for audience Q&A.

Speakers:

• Angelique Nelson

• Mariah Dixon, Youth Fellow, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

• Khoa-Nathan Ngo, Youth Fellow, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

• Saran Tugsjargal, International Advocate

We will reflect and share lessons learned on developing a university/community partnership around our mutual commitments to supporting Wellness Coach pathways. This will include our activities preparing participants for certification and envisioning on-going support for quality continuing education, as well as potentially developing communities of practice. In rural communities in particular, we share a commitment to not duplicating efforts and working smarter together for sustainability. Additionally, with over 30 individual school districts within our rural county, we are aiming to offer consistent messaging and support, in particular to smaller rural schools where there may be fewer resources for supervision and consultation for behavioral health practitioners at all levels.

Speakers:

• Yvonne Doble, MSW, EdD, Wellness Coach Program Coordinator, Social Work Department CalPoly Humboldt

• Rebecca Doane Dixon, LCSW, PPSC, Mental Health and Wellness Program Manager, Prevention and Intervention, Humboldt County Office of Education

Too often, young people and lived experience professionals are expected to lead without being equipped. They’re celebrated for their stories, but not supported in building the skills and systems knowledge to make those stories sustainable tools for change. This session introduces the ‘Youth Facilitator Training’—a flexible, certification-based model that prepares young leaders under 25 to step into facilitation with confidence, credibility, and clarity of purpose.

More than a skill-building course, this training reframes facilitation as both a leadership strategy and a healing practice—an intentional way to prepare youth to not just “share their truth,” but to hold space, move groups, and shape outcomes. It also challenges the common stigmas that young or lived experience leaders face: that they’re unprofessional, unqualified, or not “ready.” Readiness is not innate—it’s built. This session explores what it looks like to build it with care and accountability.

Speakers:

• Betsaida Lebron, Training Coordinator, CACFS Catalyst Center

• Celeste Walley, Permanency and Youth Engagement Advisor, Catalyst Center

California’s youth face complex behavioral health challenges that require unified, responsive systems of support. In this session, leaders from the California Department of Public Health, Office of School Health, and the California Department of Education, Office of School-Based Health Programs, will share how their cross-agency partnership is addressing student behavioral health through coordinated strategies and shared vision.

Attendees will gain insight into how agencies are co-developing tools, delivering technical assistance, and building local capacity to meet the diverse needs of school communities across the state. We’ll explore key elements of our collaboration, including strong interagency communication, equity-driven planning, and sustainable system-building. Learn how we’re translating policy into practice and fostering relationships that bridge health and education—creating a model that puts student well-being at the center.

Speakers:

• Ryan Skaggs, Chief, Office of School Health, California Department of Public Health

• Dr. Karrie Sequeira, Education Administrator, Office of School-Based Health Programs, California Department of Education

“The shortest distance between two people is a story.” This quote by Patti Digh captures the power of storytelling—a vital strategy in community schools to uncover the "why" behind our data and drive meaningful change.

Storytelling predates written language and has always been a way to share knowledge, values, and culture. Today, it remains a powerful method for building trust, empathy, and connection. In education, it creates space for shared understanding, belonging, and collaboration.

During the 2024–2025 school year, two California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) grantee schools in the Bay Area participated in a Street Data Community of Practice, part of the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI). This work, grounded in Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan, followed the Equity Transformation Cycle and was supported by the Bay Area Community Schools RTAC and the Alameda County Office of Education.

San Lorenzo High School’s Street Data Team—made up of staff, parents, and community partners—met regularly for six months. The school also formed a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) group, named by students: the Royal Black Power Union. Through shared leadership and goals, the group aimed to listen deeply, reimagine possibilities, and transform the educational experience for Black students.

This session will share San Lorenzo High’s Street Data journey, offering practical tools and insights to help others apply storytelling and Street Data practices to build stronger, more equitable school communities.

Speakers:

• Lauren La Plante, Community Schools Coach, Santa Clara County Office of Education

• Dr. Rachel Cobb, Program Manager of Community Partnerships, Alameda County Office of Education

• Tyson Amir, Founder & Director, Freedom Soul Media Education Initiatives (FSMEI)

• Nancy Jones, Clinical Case Manager, REACH Ashland Youth Center

• David Haupert, Community Schools Teacher on Special Assignment, San Lorenzo High School

Access to essential services is often hindered by fragmented systems, siloed efforts. This session explores practical strategies and proven structures for fostering cross-agency collaboration using Yolo County’s K-12 Partnership as a model. This session will explore how cross-sector collaboration and intentional system alignment can create sustainable mental health infrastructures. Participants will examine models for effective multi-agency partnerships that bridge gaps between education, Health and Human Services, and community-based organizations. Through real-world examples and practical tools, the session will highlight how aligned efforts can reduce duplication, maximize resources, and build equitable, long-term mental health systems that meet student needs.

Speakers:

• Dr. Michele Hamilton, Executive Director of Special Projects, YCOE

• Jennifer Edwards, MSW, MHSA Program Coordinator, Yolo County HHSA

• Mary Yung, Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Manager, Children’s Behavioral Health and Crisis Systems of Care, Yolo County HHSA

(Youth-led Session)

Growing up in the neighborhood of Hunters Point in San Francisco and Oak Park in Sacramento, I was exposed to many of the issues affecting the people in my community. I struggled firsthand with barriers similar to those of my peers. My experience of being in institutions, challenges with substances and mental health, being sent to various continuation schools, growing up in poverty, and more allowed me to provide a unique lens to organizations and help other youth like myself. In the past 4 years, I have worked with marginalized youth of various demographics, and in the past 2 years, I have worked with and advocated for our most vulnerable youth as an appointed board member. The same challenges I have faced, our youth are still facing today. Our youth are in need of support, hungering for love, care, attention and overall a better life, but turning to gangs, crime, abusive relationships, substances, are in and out of institutions and as a result of poverty, experience homelessness. They have no clue of how to live a different way, and at times, no other options since not only the education system, but the world is not set up for everyone to thrive. The kids of today are our future, not burdens or a means of making an income from their suffering. It is time that we stop turning a blind eye to the troubles our youth face. We are oftentimes too fearful of causing a ruckus or taking on a challenge. But then, who stands up for our kids? I have stood alone in my advocacy for our youth, and I am asking my peers to stand with me. Our kids need us, and it is time to loudly and unapologetically stand up for change.

Speaker:

• Judith Marquez, PRO Youth and Families Youth Fellow

(Deep Dive following the Main Stage session.)

The factors that affect the milestones along a child’s life course trajectory reside in many systems, such as health, family support, and early education. Changing children’s outcomes can only happen with a cross-systems approach, but Solano County was woefully under-resourced compared to other Bay Area counties. To cultivate the right conditions and turn the curve for children’s outcomes and funding, First 5 Solano launched a bold four-pronged strategy to change systems, including a specific focus on equity. Join us to hear about how First 5 Solano and key systems partners used the GARE Framework to create a shared vision, use data to pinpoint highest need communities, and attract substantial new revenue to develop place-based hubs of support for children and families; see what can happen we collectively believe change is possible!

Speakers:

• Susan Brutschy, President, Applied Survey Research

• Lisa Niclai, Senior Vice President of Planning and Evaluation, Applied Survey Research

• Elizabeth Mower (Martinez), Project Director, Applied Survey Research

California invested in the allcove model in 2020 to create safe spaces for young people to access care, when and where they need it. Now, the statewide investment has grown to more than $62 million and includes a developing network of 11 locations. Hear from young people about how the model has come to life at allcove Beach Cities in Redondo Beach, serving ages 12-25 with mental health, physical health, substance use, peer and family support and supported education and employment.

Speakers:

• allcove Beach Cities Youth Advisory Group members

  • Yash J.

  • Kennedy H.

  • Chole D.

• Ali Steward (moderator), allcove Beach Cities Health District

California has made progress in reducing the number of foster youth placed in out-of-state residential programs, yet many students with special education needs continue to be sent away from their families and communities. This panel will bring together legal, provider, education, and youth perspectives to explore why the problem persists and what can be done to change course. Panelists will examine the systemic challenges that drive out-of-state placements, including a shortage of in-state programs for youth with complex needs, restrictive licensing and liability environments, and fragmented coordination across education, child welfare, and behavioral health systems. They will also highlight the impact on young people and families, and share examples of what an integrated and supportive continuum of care could look like. Participants will gain a better understanding of what is missing in California’s current system and what strategies—policy, practice, and cross-system collaboration—are needed to keep youth safely supported in their own communities.

Attendees will learn:

• Why students with the most complex needs are still being placed out of state

• The impacts of these placements on youth, families, and schools

• What an integrated system of care could include to prevent out-of-state placements

• Practical ideas for how education, child welfare, behavioral health, and providers can collaborate more effectively

Speakers

• Daniel Petrie (Moderator), Chief Executive Officer, Mountain Valley Child and Family Services

• Richard Knecht, Managing Partner, Integrated Human Services Group, LLC

• Breanna Tucker, Director of Residential Services and Early Psychosis Treatment at South Coast Community Services

• Celeste Walley, Permanency and Youth Engagement Advisor, Catalyst Center

• Kelly Park, SELPA/Sped Coordinator, Elk Grove Unified School District

• Melissa Lloyd, CPS Deputy Director, Sacramento County

Join CCEE in previewing a new Ecosystem Toolkit that was created to guide cross agency teams through a step-by-step process designed to bring together schools, local agencies, and community partners to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. This guide was created from information gathered through interviews with the field to offer tools and a process to help improve collaboration across child and youth serving systems. The Toolkit can be adapted to fit the unique needs of each county, school district, or region and is aligned to the Ecosystem Field Guide.

The Behavioral Health Student Services Act (BHSSA) is a Commission for Behavioral Health (CBH)-funded initiative supporting BHSSA school-based mental health efforts in California throughout 58 county grantee partnerships. A unique aspect of the grantee-support model is the Technical Coaching Teams (TCTs), three counties funded to provide peer coaching to their fellow BHSSA grantees. The TCT grantees are Tehama County (Data Collection), Placer County (Program Implementation), and Imperial County (Partnership Development, Sustainability).

Join this vibrant panel, moderated by the BHSSA Statewide Technical Assistance Coordinator, to gain insights into the celebrations, challenges, and lessons learned in sustaining programmatic work and workforce wellbeing through integrated partnerships among providers, community-based organizations, school sites, state entities, and more.

Speakers:

• Sara Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Education, Tehama County Office of Education

• Denise Cabanilla, Director, Higher Education at Imperial County Office of Education

• Miriam Belopolsky, Senior Director of Student Services, Imperial County Office of Education

• Allison (Ali) Murphy, Director, Mental Health Prevention Supports and Services, Placer County Office of Education

• Leora Wolf-Prusan, Project Director, BHSSA Statewide Technical Assistance Coordinator

• Amy Ranger, Behavioral Health Project Director, California School-Based Health Alliance

Research has shown that rather than preventing or deterring crime, punitive approaches to youth justice create cycles of disadvantage and increase the risk of future justice involvement. However, research also points the way to what does work: meaningful accountability, genuine support, and the chance to not let a young person’s worst decisions define them for the rest of their lives. Early interventions that keep youth in their community, connected to their families, and provided with opportunity drastically reduces reoffending. This approach isn’t soft on crime; it’s smart on prevention.

In this session, we will discuss the youth justice realignment efforts in progress in California, examine youth justice and public safety through a public health lens, hear stories from youth who have been court involved, see examples of successful cross-sector collaboration, and explore the role each of us, and our organizations, play in this work.

The realignment of California’s youth justice system requires collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to creating opportunities for growth and accountability. By focusing on healing and second chances, we can break cycles of harm, foster resilience, and build safer communities. With the right tools and support, all young people have the potential to thrive.

Speakers:

Emily Gerofsky , The Social Changery

Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.), Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR)

Susie Rivera, Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR)

Victoria, Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) Youth Advisory Board Member

Although it is frequently overlooked in decision-making, youth input is crucial to creating programs that genuinely benefit young people. A youth-led initiative to create and administer an anonymous student-athlete survey is highlighted in this session, demonstrating the simplicity and significance of obtaining genuine youth feedback at the local level. Presenters will discuss how this method can strengthen relationships between players and coaches, give voice to student opinions, and provide a model for a repeatable strategy for communities and schools. Participants will explore practical ways to integrate youth-driven feedback to strengthen whole-child supports, improve program design, and ensure young people have a meaningful voice in the systems that shape their lives.

Youth Speakers:

• Nina

• Ava

• Marco

• Ethan

• Lucy

• Jack

• Charlie

• Jake

(Deep Dive following the Main Stage session.)

As schools rethink how to support student behavioral health, a critical gap remains: most screeners rely on checkboxes and Likert scales, reducing complex emotions to simple, one-dimensional metrics. The South County SELPA's Behavioral Health Screener changes this by capturing authentic student voice through open-ended, reflective prompts that invite real conversation.

Developed in collaboration with teachers, counselors, and administrators from member districts and supported by California's Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), this screener represents our collective commitment to STAY THE COURSE TOGETHER in student wellness. It provides a safe, non-judgmental space for students to share their experiences, insights, and challenges, creating a richer, more nuanced understanding of their well-being. The result is a deeper, data-driven view that can inform early intervention, personalize support, and improve overall school climate.

The screener's responses are processed using a combination of Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, and human review, ensuring that every voice is heard and every insight is actionable. This approach captures real, unfiltered student reflections, generating data that can be shared securely across organizations to drive better outcomes.

This community-informed, deeply trusted, and scalable tool enables meaningful insights that strengthen the connections between students, educators, and behavioral health professionals. When implemented across partner schools, it ensures that the data generated is relevant, actionable, and aligned with the unique needs of each community — creating a foundation for long-term student success through shared goals and unified vision.

Speakers:

• Russell Coronado, Executive Director, South County SELPA, San Diego County Office of Education

• Daniel Byun, Public-Private Partnerships Expert, Co-Founder, Impacter Pathway

• Dr. Joshua Arnold (Moderator), Retired Superintendent, & Co-CEO, Impacter Pathway

Counties and community organizations in California’s human, social, and educational services have long been asked to reform and innovate but without the proper tools or channels for change. In partnership with the Transformational Change Partnership (TCP), county teams are building stronger systems for information sharing and alignment to bridge that gap. This session will introduce the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) strategy, feature Monterey County’s experience in Cohort 3, and close with a Q&A on how these practices can break down silos and sustain community-centered reform.

Speakers:

• Jasmin Asher, Assistant Program Manager, Transformational Change Partnership, McGeorge School of Law

• Jennifer Clancy, Vice President of Strategic and Equity Initiatives, California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS)

• Dr. Colleen Stanley, Chief Business Official, Monterey County Office of Education

• Herminia Cervantes Lozada, Coordinator II, Monterey County Office of Education

California stands at a pivotal moment in reimagining how schools, health, and community systems respond to the growing intersection of homelessness, displacement, and student wellness. This session explores how recovery from crises—like the 2025 LA wildfires—can strengthen student well-being and educational opportunity rather than deepen inequities.

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) will open with findings from Child Trends’ new report, Visibility Through the Ashes, documenting the rise in student homelessness and its lasting impact on families, educators, and communities. UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools will follow with insights from the Y-PLAN LA Metro project in Glendale Unified School District, where over 100 homes were lost in the Eaton Fire. Students’ recommendations called for stronger mental health supports, better communication systems, and cross-sector collaboration. Youth leader Saran Tugsjargal will close by emphasizing the need to center diverse youth voices in resilience and recovery planning.

Speakers:

• Margaret Olmos, CA Director of Compassionate Education, National Center for Youth Law

• Deborah McKoy, PhD Executive Director, Center for Cities+Schools, and Research Professor, UC Berkeley - City Planning 

• Saran Tugsjargal, Youth Leader,  Student Commissioner for the California Advisory Commission on Special Education

This session highlights a powerful collaboration in Solano County that’s changing the way school communities respond to students in acute crisis. Featuring panelists from local education, law enforcement, behavioral health, and community-based organizations, the presentation will showcase the development and ongoing success of the School-Based Mobile Crisis Team—a rapid response unit created to support schools when a student is identified as suicidal or homicidal.

Panelists will walk attendees through how agencies came together to create a coordinated, real-time system of care designed to reduce harm, ensure student safety, and support families through some of their most difficult moments. The presentation will focus on how resource sharing and relationship building across systems allowed for the development of a sustainable, trauma-informed model that serves students holistically.

Attendees will learn how schools are supported from the moment of crisis through follow-up care, how agencies work together to avoid duplication and gaps, and how local leadership is planning for long-term program sustainability. This session will provide practical strategies for communities looking to build their own cross-agency response teams and explore funding options to maintain them.

Speakers:

• Dr. Nicola Parr, Interim Solano County Superintendent of Schools

• Camden Webb, Clinical Services Director, Solano County Office of Education

• Kristian Skillman, Clinical Coordinator, Solano County Office of Education

• Chief Dan Marshall, Police Chief, Fairfield Police Department

• Kristen Witt, Senior Director, Secondary Education, Fairfield Suisun Unified School District

• Katherine Kellum, Children’s Administrator, Solano County Behavioral Health

California stands at a pivotal moment in advancing whole child, whole student care. Schools are among the most powerful entry points for reaching young people, yet health and education systems too often operate in silos. In alignment with the Breaking Barriers 2025 theme Stay the Course, this session will explore how to bring health and education closer together to ensure all students have access to mental health supports that are effective, sustainable, and equitable.

Using Soluna – California’s free digital mental health platform for youth ages 13–25, as a use case, panelists will highlight how innovative digital strategies can extend school-based mental health services and act as connective tissue across systems to support coordination of care. Rather than replacing in-person supports, digital programs can fill gaps, strengthen prevention and early intervention, and create a more resilient ecosystem.

Panelists bring diverse expertise across health, education, and community engagement. Dr. Tully, who will moderate the discussion, brings expertise in designing and implementing digital mental health programs that extend school-based services. Edwin Rivera of Latino Health Access and Radiant Alliance will discuss the importance of building trust with Latino and LGBTQ+ youth to drive engagement with systems of care. Dr. Karina Muro of UC Davis will share strategies for culturally appropriate bilingual digital interventions for immigrant families and Spanish-speaking students. A Soluna Youth Ambassador will provide a firsthand perspective on how digital tools empower youth voice and access. Our Education expert will bring expertise on education and child serving systems, highlighting how health and education can collaborate to serve the whole child. 

Together, panelists will identify barriers to collaboration and outline practical steps—guided by the Breaking Barriers pillars of shared leadership, goals, information, and finances—to ensure investments in youth mental health are fully realized and deeply embedded within education systems.

Speakers:

• Dr. Tully, Ph.D. (Moderator), Vice-President of Partnerships at Kooth, representing Soluna

• Dr. Karina Muro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, UC Davis

• Edwin Rivera, Chief Development and Communications Officer at Latino Health Access.

• Two Community Youth Leaders, who will draw from both their lived and professional experience using digital mental health services to bring critical youth perspectives into the conversation.

Youth across California are driving meaningful change—reshaping philanthropy, influencing government decisions, and building collective power to ensure investments truly reflect community needs. In this speech, you will hear directly from young leaders about how they have already made an impact on statewide investments and how they continue to lead with vision, courage, and collaboration. Their stories demonstrate the critical role youth play in shaping a more equitable and sustainable future for California.

This panel brings together youth leaders to share firsthand how they are shaping California’s future through philanthropy, government, and community collaboration. From influencing public investments to driving innovative solutions in their own communities, youth are not only at the table but are actively leading change. Panelists will highlight their personal experiences, lessons learned, and the collective power of young people to transform systems and policies. Attendees will gain insight into how youth voice is making a measurable impact today—and how continued investment in youth leadership is essential to building a more just and equitable Californiafor its children, youth, and families.

Speakers:

• Mitchell Dumpson (Facilitator)

• Jade Davis

• Mariah Dixon, Youth Fellow, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

• Nghia Do

• Deannie Choiselat, CalYouth, Membership and Public Policy Coordinator

(Deep Dive following the Main Stage session.)

This session explores how braided funding strategies can advance integrated leadership across human services, mental health, probation, education, and community systems. Participants will explore actionable approaches to cross-agency fiscal alignment that enhance sustainability, minimize duplication, and improve outcomes for youth and families.

The presentation features successful funding models that support Systems of Care and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and equips leaders with practical tools to embed shared decision-making and accountability into their financial structures. Designed for education, behavioral health, child welfare, and community leaders, this session reframes braided finance not merely as a funding mechanism—but as a powerful leadership strategy for transforming systems.

Speakers:

• Natasha King, Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Funding Sustainability, Effective School Solutions

• Michael Lombardo, Education and Health & Human Services Advisor, MCL Collaboration

• Chris Stoner-Mertz, Principal, Stoner Mertz & Co, LLC; CEO Emerita, California Alliance of Children and Family Services

This session will address Expanded Learning is a vehicle for scalable health, and mental health partnerships, and the role Counties, LEAs, and Expanded Learning partners can play to increase access to tier II and tier III supports. Participants will learn about how partnerships with California’s robust system of Expanded Learning Programs can be part of a cohesive education, health, and human service ecosystem to support wellness and sustain school-based mental health services, MTSS, and Community School strategies.

Speakers:

• Michael Funk, California Department of Education

• County Office of Education

• LEA Eepresentative

In Sacramento County, a growing crisis in youth placement stability prompted an unprecedented collaboration across child welfare, behavioral health, and community-based organizations. Over the past year, these partners have been building the Children’s Continuum—a multi-tiered, community-rooted care model designed to meet the needs of youth with complex trauma histories while reducing reliance on institutional placements.

This interactive learning session offers participants a behind-the-scenes look at Sacramento’s work-in-progress, including its design and funding strategies, leadership structures, and integrated contracting approach. Attendees will hear from County leaders and provider partners on the real-world challenges and wins of building shared infrastructure, trust, and new care settings like Enhanced STRTPs, Emergency E-ISFCs, and TSCF Welcome Homes.

More than a showcase, this session will encourage candid discussion of how to move from siloed mandates to shared goals, while staying accountable to families and community voice. Participants will explore actionable strategies to align decision-making and funding across systems—and walk away with practical tools for co-designing integrated solutions in their own communities.

Speakers:

• Melissa Chavez, Chief of Administration, Sacramento County Department of Child, Family & Adult Services

• Sheri Green, Division Manager, Sacramento County Department of Behavioral Health Services

• Ken Berrick, CEO, Rising Social Strategies

• Mary Sheppard, Executive Director of the Capital Region, Pacific Clinics

• Marsha Lewis, CEO, Alternative Family Services

• Melissa Lloyd, Deputy Director, Child Protective Services

Join us for an out-of-the-box session where we look to the future and imagine what might be possible outside our normal thinking. Explore opportunities with Medi-Cal and Title IV that few have tried - but that have tremendous potential

Speaker:

• Sean Hughes, Managing Partner - Governmental Relations, Social Change Partners

• Sarah Broome