Nearly half of California’s adolescents face mental health challenges, yet 66% of those struggling with depression do not receive treatment, according to the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). As the scale and complexity of these challenges grow, the state has introduced a proactive solution: CYBHI Certified Wellness Coaches.

This newly created, non-clinical role is designed to address critical workforce gaps in school mental health services and provide much-needed support for students. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the Certified Wellness Coach role, share steps to becoming certified, and provide useful resources to help you integrate these coaches into your team. 

Why Was the California Certified Wellness Coach Role Created?  

There’s a significant shortage of qualified school counselors and psychologists in California. But the shortage is just the tip of the iceberg:  

• Overwhelmed staff: School mental health professionals are already stretched thin, leading to burnout. 

• Limited options for hiring: Filling vacancies requires candidates with expensive and time-intensive graduate degrees, further narrowing the talent pool. 

• Representation challenges: Students are increasingly looking for support from adults they can relate to—those who reflect their backgrounds, experiences, and identities. 

In response to these challenges, Governor Newsom created the Master Plan for Kids Mental Health. As part of this plan and in partnership with the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), the state developed the Certified Wellness Coach role to support students in need. 

What Does a Certified Wellness Coach Do? 

Certified Wellness Coaches bring much-needed behavioral health support into schools, focusing on prevention and intervention. On a typical workday, coaches might: 

• Boost mental and behavioral health literacy and reduce stigma through structured curriculum 
• Support individual students and small groups 
• Conduct screenings to identify students in need of help 
• Act as a trusted liaison between students and clinicians to coordinate care 
• Expand the frontline of referral for students in crisis 
• Provide “warm handoffs” to ensure students transition smoothly between services 

Resource: Find sample job descriptions in the HCAI’s Certified Wellness Coach Resource Guide.

How to Become a Certified Wellness Coach in California 

To qualify as a Certified Wellness Coach, candidates be over 18 and must meet specific educational and fieldwork requirements. (Note: The State of California does not currently provide a certification program; candidates must apply based on eligibility criteria.) Initial certification is based on the educational requirements and certification is reviewed and renewed based on logged hours in the workforce. 

Educational requirements 

Candidates must have: 

• An associate’s or bachelor's degree in Social Work, Health & Human Services, or Addiction Studies 
  OR 
• An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Child Development/Early Intervention, Psychology, or Sociology 

Work Experience Requirements 

Candidates must also have a minimum of 1,000 filed hours working in: 

• Mental health, substance use/addiction, or social work
  AND/OR 
• Child welfare, or related fields in school-based organizations, nonprofits, community organizations, or clinics/health centers 

Resource: Check your eligibility to become a Certified Wellness Coach here. 

Educational Pathways to Becoming a Wellness Coach 

To support the development of this new role, California has partnered with community colleges to establish educational pathways for current students and recent graduates to make a career in Wellness Coaching more accessible. The program is still relatively new, and you can sign up to receive updates from the Foundation for California Community Colleges. 

• Learn about the Wellness Coach Designated Education Program. 

• Discover Wellness Coach scholarships for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year. 

Be sure to stay in the loop as these programs continue to expand. 

CYBHI Support from Exym 

At Exym, we understand how crucial it is to have strong support for school mental health professionals—especially as new Certified Wellness Coaches join your team. Our EHR software provides CYBHI support that makes it easy to train new staff, keep up with documentation, and complete multi-payer billing quickly and easily.  

Our comprehensive EHR software is designed to tackle tedious tasks for school-based mental health providers, saving them time and money. Trusted for over 20 years, Exym empowers LEAs to: 

• Improve student outcomes through data-driven decisions 
• Simplify documentation and reporting for CYBHI compliance 
• Secure records in alignment with HIPAA and FERPA  
• Increase efficiency so staff can focus on supporting student 

Exym ensures your team has the tools and resources needed to make a lasting impact. 

Visit Exym’s Schools Page to learn more to learn more!