Project Cal-Well is a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education focused on building capacity for sustainable school-based mental health systems in local educational agencies (LEAs) throughout California. As part of a series highlighting the work of Project Cal-Well partners in Cohort 2 (2019-2024), this document summarizes how Paradise Unified School District leveraged Project Cal-Well funding to organize and effectively distribute mental health support services after the Camp Fire, which devastated the Paradise Community in 2018. These efforts led to greater cross-sector collaboration with community partners to provide mental health and other essential services to students and their families.
Mental Health
Northern Humboldt Union High School District: Aligning Mental Health Initiatives With a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Through Project Cal-Well
Project Cal-Well is a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education focused on building capacity for sustainable school-based mental health systems in local educational agencies (LEAs) throughout California. As part of a series highlighting the work of Project Cal-Well partners in Cohort 2 (2019-2024), this document summarizes how Northern Humboldt Union High School District leveraged Project Cal-Well funding to shift to a Multi-Tiered System of Support approach to implement a sustainable school mental health system, strengthen connections with community partners, and empower staff to take a proactive approach to supporting students’ mental health.
Sacramento County Office of Education: Transforming Schools Into Centers of Wellness
Project Cal-Well is a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education focused on building capacity for sustainable school-based mental health systems in local educational agencies (LEAs) throughout California. As part of a series highlighting the work of Project Cal-Well partners in Cohort 2 (2019-2024), this document summarizes how the Sacramento County Office of Education leveraged Project Cal-Well funding to implement a vision for supporting mental health that centers on “schools as centers of wellness.”
Guía familiar para apoyar la salud mental y el bienestar de los jóvenes: Información, consejos y recursos
Proyecto Cal-Well, una iniciativa interinstitucional de salud mental dirigida por el Departamento de Educación de California, produjo esta guía fácil de usar con aportes de familias, educadores, profesionales de la salud mental y jóvenes. La guía ayuda a los padres, otros miembros adultos de la familia y los cuidadores a apoyar el bienestar general y la salud mental de los niños en edad escolar. Ofrece información sobre el desarrollo social y emocional de los jóvenes y explica las señales de advertencia que pueden indicar problemas de salud mental. Equipa a los cuidadores con estrategias, herramientas y recursos específicos que los ayudan a defender a su familia, abordar las necesidades específicas de cada niño y acceder a ayuda profesional.
Los temas clave y consejos incluyen:
- iniciadores de conversación para ayudar a abrir las líneas de comunicación con los niños y adolescentes;
- formas agradables de conectarse, desarrollar rutinas de bienestar y crear prácticas de bienestar como familia;
- información sobre los mitos de la salud mental, incluyendo las necesidades específicas y el aumento de los retos a los que se enfrentan los jóvenes que se identifican como LGBTQ+;
- información sobre cómo reconocer las señales de que un niño está siendo intimidado o acosado;
- herramientas para crear un plan de medios de comunicación familiar que establezca límites en torno a la tecnología y dé a los niños las habilidades para estar en línea de manera segura utilizando plataformas apropiadas para su edad; y
- asesoramiento para asociarse con las escuelas para acceder a recursos y apoyos de salud mental y bienestar familiar.
Compartir esta guía
- ¡Comparta esta guía con las familias de su distrito! Los autores recomiendan proporcionar esta guía junto con referencias a recursos locales para apoyar a su comunidad.
- La Guía familiar para apoyar la salud mental y el bienestar de los jóvenes puede compartirse con este folleto de una página que contiene un código QR para una copia digital de la guía y los recursos en línea. La guía y el folleto de una página también están disponibles en inglés.
Family Guide to Supporting Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being
Project Cal-Well, a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education, produced this easy-to-use guide with input from families, educators, mental health professionals, and youth. The guide helps parents and other adult family members and caregivers navigate supporting the overall well-being and mental health of school-aged children, including tips for what can be difficult conversations. It offers information about the social and emotional development of young people and explains warning signs that may signal mental health challenges. It equips caregivers with targeted strategies, tools, and resources that help them advocate for their family, address each child’s specific needs, and access professional help.
Key topics and tips include:
- example conversation starters to help open lines of communication with children and teens;
- enjoyable ways to connect, develop wellness routines, and create well-being practices as a family;
- information addressing mental health myths, including the specific needs and increased challenges facing young people who identify as LGBTQ+;
- information on how to recognize signs that a child is bullying or being bullied;
- tools to create a family media plan that sets boundaries around technology and gives children the skills to be online safely using age-appropriate platforms; and
- tips for partnering with schools to access mental health and family wellness resources and supports.
Share this guide!
- Share this guide with families in your district! The authors recommend providing this guide alongside referrals to local resources to support your community.
- The Family Guide to Supporting Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being can be shared with this one-page handout containing a QR code for a digital copy of the guide and online resources.
- Download the Spanish-language version of the guide.
- Download the Simplified Chinese-language version of the guide.
- Download the Traditional Chinese-language version of the guide.
Youth Mental Health and Supports: 2022 Elementary Students Perspective
Through Project Cal-Well, the California Department of Education and the University of California, San Francisco review and analyze data collected from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) to identify mental health needs of students and barriers to service provision. This brief describes data from the CHKS Core & Mental Health Supports modules on the mental health needs of elementary students during the 2021-22 school year.
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