For the first time ever, after Supervisor Simitian urged increased access to mental health services, federal Medicaid money – and by extension County Medi-Cal funds – can be spent on mental health services for kids previously uncovered. This now includes ASPIRE, short for After-School Program Interventions and Resiliency Education, an eight-week program for teens and young adults designed to teach mental health coping strategies and provide counseling in a group-based environment.
