McKinsey teams up with California State to expand children’s behavioral health

In 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with more than $4 billion in state investment to reimagine mental health services for children across the state.

As part of the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, the goal was to shift existing state systems toward prevention and early intervention, connecting state programs and services across education, healthcare, and community organizations so they don’t operate in isolation.

To help build a more connected, youth-centered system, California’s Department of Health Care Services partnered with McKinsey to develop and put in place new programs that bring support directly to where children already spend their time—at school, at home, online, and in their communities.

“Working together, we designed the mechanisms schools need to access sustainable healthcare funding so they could strengthen services, reach more kids, and avoid disruptions typical of short-term, grant-based funding,” said McKinsey Partner Ramya Parthasarathy.

Read the case study here.