Note: While administered by the Sacramento and Santa Clara County Offices of Education, this grant program is separate and distinct from the CYBHI School-Linked Partnership and Capacity Grants program. The contact information for the Bridge Grant is bridgegrant@scoe.net.
Assembly Bill 121, the education finance omnibus budget trailer bill for 2025-2026, appropriated $20 million to the California Department of Education to allocate to the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to, in partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE), award grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the first, second, and third cohorts of the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) CYBHI Fee Schedule Program.
The authorizing legislation for this grant opportunity specifies two priorities:
Primary grant priority: To prevent the disruption of providing school-linked behavioral health services in the 2025–26 school year, including staffing costs for school employees who provide youth mental health services.
Secondary grant priority: For technical assistance for the continued implementation of the school-linked statewide fee schedule established pursuant to Section 5961.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
Eligible LEAs will be able to apply for one or both funding areas. Grantees may spend a maximum of 25% of their award amount on the secondary priority.
Eligibility is limited to LEAs (defined as a school district, charter school, or county office of education) participating in DHCS CYBHI Fee Schedule Cohorts 1, 2, or 3.
Applicants may apply as an individual LEA, or as a Lead LEA on behalf of multiple eligible LEAs. Examples: 1) A billing consortium lead LEA may apply on behalf of other eligible LEAs that are members of its billing consortium, 2) A single charter LEA may apply on behalf of other eligible charter LEAs that are part of the same charter network or charter management organization (CMO).
Following the submission of a complete Letter of Intent (LOI), eligible LEAs will be invited to submit a full application. The LOI process will provide the total number of LEAs that we must account for in determining the amount of funding available for each applicant. The application invitation will include a maximum grant amount that the applicant may request in their application.
The LOI Deadline has been extended from October 27, 2025 to October 31, 2025. Please see email communication here.
Eligible LEAs will be required to complete a two-step process to apply for funding:
Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) – opens October 6, 2025; due October 31, 2025 (deadline extended)
Eligible entities will submit their LOI through an online form. Submission of an LOI is required to be invited to submit a full application. The LOI is non-binding; LEAs may submit an LOI and later choose to not submit a full application. The LOI can be submitted at this link. The LOI questions are available in PDF form at this link.
Submit a Grant Application - timeline TBD
After submitting the LOI, eligible applicants will receive an invitation to submit a full application for funding through an online form. The invitation will specify the maximum funding amount the applicant may request. The application will require LEAs to provide a narrative describing how they will use their funding within each priority area specified in the authorizing legislation (see above). Application questions will be shared as a part of the invitation to apply.
PLEASE NOTE: Incomplete and late LOIs and Grant Applications will not be considered.
- 10/06/25: LOI form opens.
- 10/17/25: Deadline for submitting questions via email to bridgegrant@scoe.net
- 10/31/25: LOIs due by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
*Timeline is subject to change.
Please submit questions via email to bridgegrant@scoe.net by 10/17/2025. Responses will be published on this webpage under "Questions and Answers" periodically.
This section will be updated as questions are received to bridgegrant@scoe.net. Please check back regularly for updates. (Last Updated: 10/24/2025)
Who is eligible for this grant program?
This application is open to any local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the first, second, and third cohorts of the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) CYBHI Fee Schedule Program throughout California.
How do I find my LEA's CDS Code?
To find your CDS code, search for your LEA in this CDE School Directory database: https://www.cde.ca.gov/SchoolDirectory/
Where can I find how much funding my LEA is eligible for?
Funding amounts will be determined based on the level of interest received through the Letter of Intent process, and as such we do not have an estimate at this time. We encourage all eligible LEAs to complete the LOI if they anticipate having a need for funds that aligns with the legislative intent of this opportunity.
If a lead LEA is applying on behalf of multiple member LEAs, who should the signatory on the LOI be?
LEAs may choose to submit an LOI independently or a Lead LEA may submit a single LOI on behalf of multiple member LEAs. Lead LEAs should confer with and gain consent from their member LEAs about this approach. All LEAs included in an LOI must be participants of DHCS Cohorts 1, 2, or 3. The LOI only requires a single signature from the Lead LEA's Superintendent or Designee.
Only one LOI will be considered per LEA. LEAs should not submit an LOI independently if they have chosen to submit an LOI as a part of a group.
In the application process, lead LEAs will need to submit documentation of consent (i.e., signed statement; a template will be provided) from each member LEA included in the application.
If an LEA wants to only apply for the secondary grant priority, how much funding will they have access to?
The two funding areas of this grant program were determined and prioritized in the legislation. To honor that prioritization, LEAs may only use 25% of their total award towards the secondary priority. Should an LEA only want to use funds toward the secondary priority, they will only be eligible to apply for 25% of the maximum amount included on their invitation to submit a full application.
Will my LEA receive more funding if we apply independently rather than through our Lead LEA?
There will be no difference in the amount of funding available for LEAs that choose to submit an LOI independently versus those that apply as part of a group. For applications with multiple LEAs, the full grant amount will be awarded to the lead LEA.
If we have a multi-county consortium, can the consortium lead in one county send the LOI on behalf of their other county partners?
Lead LEAs may apply on behalf of member LEAs across and within counties, as long as all members included in the LOI are eligible for the funding opportunity and consenting to this approach. Documentation of consent will be required in the application.
For a multi-county approach for the primary grant priority, we would need additional justification in the full application stage to ensure that the funds are being used in alignment with the legislative intent.
Should a dollar number request be included in the LOI?
No, LEAs should not include a requested dollar amount in their LOI. To view the questions included in the LOI, please see the PDF of the questions here.
Is a LEA, such as a COE, able to apply for priority 2 of the Bridge Grant if they are not enrolled in Cohorts 1, 2 or 3 but provide technical assistance to LEAs enrolled in one of those cohorts?
If you are not participating in Cohorts 1, 2 or 3 you cannot apply for the grant. The applicant must be eligible for the funding opportunity.
Is there a matching fund requirement (in-kind or cash)?
There will be no matching fund requirements.
What consent will be required in the application process if we are applying as a group of LEAs?
The grant application will require upload of explicit consent from member LEAs. That proof of consent will need to explicitly state that they are consenting to being included in a group application for the Bridge Grant, and that they understand all funding is going to the Lead LEA on the application. This consent must include a Superintendent signature.
We will provide a template in early- to mid-November. You are not required to use our template, please see above guidance for what minimum information should be included should you develop a template of your own.
What are allowable funding activities?
Please review the legislative text. We cannot issue further guidance on this topic during the LOI period. As a reminder, the LOI is non-binding and there will be an opportunity to refine your proposed use of grant funds in the full application stage.
What is the timeline for this grant program?
The authorizing legislation specifies the 25-26 school year. In alignment with the legislation, the grant period will end on June 30, 2026. We are in discussion with the state about options for extension, however, at this time LEAs should plan for an end date of June 30, 2026 and a start date of July 1, 2025.
If the grant is awarded and it is targeting the 2025-2026 school year, does it need to be for expanding services, or can the funds be used to offset the cost of those services already in place?
The funds may be used to cover the current costs for the 2025-2026 school year.