Preparing for CYBHI (Step 9 of 9): Claim Submission Adoption

Welcome back to our blog series, 9 Steps for School Districts to Prepare for CYBHI. In our last installment, we explored how to plan effective training to ensure your staff feels confident and supported. Today, we’re closing out the series with a vital next step: helping your staff fully adopt the claim management process.

For the first time, school-based mental health providers are expected to submit claims for every service provided to every student. This shift opens the door to sustainable funding, but only if the process is embraced and implemented consistently.

Why Claim Submission Adoption Matters

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is designed to transform how school-based mental health services are financed. But transformation only works if the people doing the work are supported to make the shift.

Historically, providers, your counselors/PPS, haven’t needed to think about billing. Now, they’re being asked to document every interaction accurately, thoroughly, and in a way that meets Medicaid and commercial payer requirements. Without clear systems and strong support, this can feel like just another layer of paperwork added to already full plates.

By building buy-in and making claim management part of the culture, not just a compliance task, districts can unlock new funding and ensure long-term program sustainability.

Key Barriers to Adoption

Even with the right tools in place, claim adoption can stall due to:

Unclear expectations: Staff may not understand why claim submission matters or how it fits into their role.
Time constraints: Mental health teams are stretched thin, and additional admin work can feel overwhelming.
Technical hurdles: Without a user-friendly system, submitting claims can become a slow, frustrating process.
Lack of feedback: When staff can’t see the impact of their efforts (like funding gained or claims approved), it’s hard to stay engaged.

What Districts Can Do

Encouraging adoption starts with communication, training, and ongoing support. Here’s how to make it stick:

Explain the Why: Show how claims translate into funding for more staff, better materials, and increased student support.
Celebrate Wins: Share early reimbursement data and success stories to help staff see their impact.
Make It Easy: Choose a platform that reduces documentation time and integrates with existing workflows.
Remove Barriers: Automate as much of the claim process as possible. For example, TadHealth auto-populates 43+ required fields on each claim.
Provide Ongoing Support: Use office hours, internal leads, and peer “super users” to keep staff connected and informed.

Tad Tip: Embed Claim Submissions Into the Workflow

At TadHealth, we work with districts to ensure claim submission doesn’t become another burden. TadHealth allows your mental health staff to submit CYBHI claims in less than one minute. Our platform:

Auto-populates fields to reduce manual entry
Tracks claim status in real time
Alerts staff to missing documentation
Integrates directly with student information systems
Supports all provider types, including interns and CBO partners

We also provide hands-on training, change management tools, and internal champions to drive adoption across your teams.

The Benefits of Strong Claim Management

When claim management is fully adopted, districts see:

Higher and more consistent reimbursements
Greater staff efficiency and reduced burnout
Better tracking of student needs and services
A sustainable model for mental health expansion

Claim submissions aren’t just paperwork; they’re the engine that powers your district’s ability to serve more students, hire more staff, and invest in long-term wellness.

Thank you for following along with our 9 Steps for School Districts to Prepare for CYBHI series! We're proud to support the districts doing the hard work of building student wellness from the ground up.

Need support rolling out a claim management strategy that works for your team? TadHealth is here to help. Join our free webinar on May 28, 2025 at 10am PST/1pm EST, to learn how schools are submitting CYBHI claims in just a few clicks, without the paperwork headaches.

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