The San Diego County Office of Education, Student Wellness and School Culture, in partnership with Scripps Health and the Transforming Mental Health Initiative at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, offered a series of webinars to support the mental wellness of school communities.

Recorded Webinars

• Feb. 23: Effective Stress Reduction Strategies to Help Prevent and Manage Burnout (recording / slides)
• Mar. 2: Managing Stress and Building Resiliency-Improving Coping during the Pandemic (recording / slides)
• Mar. 9: Cultivating Connection: Stepping Stones for Building Healthy Relationships and Trust in the Classroom (recording / slides)
• Mar. 16: Fostering Student Success: Helping Students Manage Stress and Anxiety (recording / slides)
• Apr. 20: Creating an Inclusive Environment for All (recording / slides)
• Apr. 27: A Deeper Look at Depression (recording / slides)

You are more likely to encounter someone — friend, family member, student, neighbor, or member of the community — in an emotional or mental crisis than someone having a heart attack. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches a five-step action plan to offer initial help to young people showing signs of a mental illness or in a crisis, and connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self-help care.

This is an eight-hour certification course that teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, ADHD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder.  Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling-rather, participants learn to support a youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis by applying a core five-step action plan. 

This course is designed for adults who regularly interact with adolescents, ages 12 to 18 — social workers, administrators, teachers, nurses, counselors, coaches, secretaries, registrars, lunch staff, bus drivers, and leaders of faith communities, law enforcement, and other caring citizens.

For school site training, please contact us for more information.

Crisis Hotlines and Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-TALK (8255)
  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

  • Find more specific resources here for youth, disaster survivors, Native Americans, veterans, loss survivors, LGBTQ+, attempt survivors, deaf/hard of hearing/hearing loss, and “ayuda en español”.

• Contact the San Diego Access and Crisis Line, if you or someone you care about is experiencing a suicidal or mental health crisis and needs immediate help. Trained and experienced counselors are available to provide support, referrals, and crisis intervention. The call is free and confidential. If emergency medical care is needed, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.

Crisis Line (888) 724-7240 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day)

Live chat M-F 4-10 p.m.

TDD/TTY Dial 711

• Text "HOME" to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support via a medium people already use and trust.

• MY3 is an app for individuals who may be having thoughts of suicide, or who have a history of suicidal behavior. It is designed to help these individuals stay safe when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide by identifying a support system, building a safety plan, accessing important resources, getting support at times of greatest risk, and accessing the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7.

• The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed for use by patients and their behavioral health providers as an accessory to treatment. The VHB contains simple tools to help patients with coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking. Patients and providers can work together to personalize the VHB content on the patient's own smartphone according to the patient's specific needs.

• 211 San Diego

• Mental Health America of San Diego County

• National Alliance on Mental Illness San Diego

• San Diego County Behavioral Health Services

• National Council for Behavioral Health

• Brother Be Well is a unique platform for boys and men of color blending awareness, innovation, education, and healing pathways to reduce disparities, disrupt prolonged suffering, and improve health and mental wellness.

• Help A Friend In Need (PDF)

• NAMI Child and Adolescent Action Center

• SDCOE Teen Guide To Mental Health and Wellness (English PDF | Spanish PDF)

• SDCOE A Young Person's Guide to Wellness (PDF)

• Brain XP is dedicated to ending the stigma toward other teenagers who suffer from mental health issues. Brain XP also has positive daily social media content: Brain XP Blog and Brain XP Instagram (@brainxpproject). All of our content is created by teens for other teens, and all of our resources can be accessed online.

• Back to School Tips for 2021: Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-Being (PDF)

• Detox Local: AAPI Addiction and Mental Health Resources

• How to (Re)Connect with Students and Build Strong Relationships (PDF)

• Mental Health in Schools: Voices From the Field (PDF)

• County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health Services, Children, Youth and Families
  • How to Access Behavioral Health Services for Youth in San Diego County (PDF)
  • SchooLink Service Structure (County-Funded Behavioral Health Services) (PDF)
  • San Diego County, Behavioral Health Services, Regional Schools and Providers

• Back to School - Mental Health America

• Center for Mental Health in Schools & Student/Learning Supports at UCLA

• Children's Mental Health Network

• Helpguide.org

• Live Another Day

• Live Well San Diego — Best Practices for Schools

• Mental Health Resources for Spanish-Speaking (Translated from Spanish)

• National Association of School Psychologists

• Putting COVID into Perspective: The Impact in the US in 2020

​Senate Bill (SB) 98 is an education omnibus trailer bill to the 2020 Budget Act which was signed into law on June 29, 2020. SB 98 adds Education Code section 43509 and one of several provisions contained in SB 98 requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to adopt a learning continuity and attendance plan that addresses each school within the LEA. This plan, among other things, must include the following:

• A description of how the LEA will monitor and support the mental health and social and emotional well-being of pupils and staff during the school year.
• The description may include any professional development and resources that will be provided to pupils and staff to address trauma and other impacts of COVID-19 on the school community.

Mental Health and Wellness Resources for Staff

• SDCOE: Prioritize Staff Wellness — Infographic (PDF)

• California Surgeon General's Playbook: Stress Relief during COVID-19

• Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care (PDF)

• Evaluating Staff Well-Being and Job Satisfaction Across Your District (PDF)

• Mental Health America's COVID-19 and Your Mental Health (PDF)

• Remote Work Tips from SAVE — Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (PDF)

• Staying Resilient During COVID-19: Compassion Resilient Toolkit

• Wellness Tools

• Workplace Mental Health: Employee Support Guide

• Workplace Mental Health and Wellness

View a variety of mental health resources — created by San Diego County teens for teens — and information on youth-lead mental health coalitions.