On Tuesday, Palo Alto High School was set to propose a change in mental health service providers to the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education for the 2017-2018 school year.

Adolescent Counseling Services, Paly’s current student health and counseling service provider, has opted out of continuing their partnership with the school.

In efforts to replace ACS, Paly has given a list of service requirements which includes requests for “wellness and balance” and “evidence-based school counseling models” to health providers.

Three providers responded to the proposal, with the district committee selecting Counseling and Support Services for Youth, an organization that already works with Palo Alto elementary schools, as its recommendation for the district.

CASSY will cost around $470,000, an increase from the $230,000 for ACS, according to the PAUSD School-Based Counseling Proposal Review Committee.

The review committee mentions that switching to CASSY will be a wiser decision both in terms of budget and consistency throughout elementary, middle, and high school mental health services.

“The provider the committee recommends (CASSY) uses a school-based counseling model and its staff are licensed mental health providers,” says Jeorge Quintana, the PAUSD Communications and Community Engagement Officer.