Wellness Center

We hope that you are enjoying the three-day weekend with your students! New support counselors have officially arrived. In the upcoming week, the Wellness team will be visiting frosh PE classes to introduce ourselves, give a tour of our spaces and let students know about the Wellness services that we offer right here on campus. We will also be visiting classes with academic counselors for sophomores, juniors and seniors. Please encourage your students to stop by if they need mental health support or just to say hi and grab a snack.

The Wellness team would like to welcome everyone to the 23-24 school year! We are so happy to be back serving Acalanes students and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing community of parents and families. If you think that your student might benefit from mental health support this school year, please fill out a Wellness referral which can be found in the Wellness Center section of the Acalanes High School website.
 
Our normal drop–in hours start tomorrow, Monday, Aug 28 however we are always available to support students in crisis.
 
We look forward to another successful year of supporting student mental health right here on the Acalanes High School campus.

The Wellness team would like to welcome everyone to the 23-24 school year! We are so happy to be back serving Acalanes students and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing community of parents and families. If you think that your student might benefit from mental health support this school year, please fill out a Wellness referral which can be found in the Wellness Center section of the Acalanes High School website.

 
The Wellness Center will be closed during class for the first two weeks of school for program planning, preparation for new support counselors and to get students in the habit of going to class and staying in class. We will resume our normal drop–in hours on Monday, Aug 28 however we are always available to support students in crisis.
 
We look forward to another successful year of supporting student mental health right here on the Acalanes High School campus.

The Wellness team had the privilege of serving about 250 unique students with over 2,300 visits to the Wellness Center this year! We couldn’t do this without the support of our Acalanes parent community. We want to wish everyone a restful summer break and best of luck to the class of 2023 graduates!
 
If you are interested in any summer resources for wellness, including crisis support, community counseling and connection, you can find them here. Be sure to spend some time with your AHS student this summer and we’ll see you soon for the 2023-2024 school year!

May is mental health awareness month! We celebrate this month to destigmatize mental health issues, provide support and generate awareness of what mental health means for all of us.
 
Destigmatizing mental health issues has played a huge role in making mental health care more widely accessible to those who need it. The implementation of Wellness Centers in AUHSD is largely in part to widespread efforts to normalize mental health and provide support at school, where students spend a huge portion of their time.

Mental health comes in all shapes and sizes. Many people assume that mental health struggles are a matter of pathology but, in reality, someone may have mental health challenges without ever receiving a diagnosis. When thinking about mental health in broad terms, a perfect analogy for understanding is a car. Cars need regular maintenance to make sure that things run smoothly for as long as possible and when things come up, a car needs to be checked out to get things back to baseline. Mental health is extremely similar in the sense that if we are not taking care of our mental health, it is more likely that things will come up. If these things are not addressed appropriately, they have the potential to impact our lives in ways that are less than ideal. The Acalanes Wellness Center is here to support your students no matter what their mental health looks like. Mental health is a journey, not a destination. Check in with your student for a better understanding of where they might be on their journey.

May is mental health awareness month! We celebrate this month to destigmatize mental health issues, provide support and generate awareness of what mental health means for all of us.

Destigmatizing mental health issues has played a huge role in making mental health care more widely accessible to those who need it. The implementation of Wellness Centers in AUHSD is largely in part to widespread efforts to normalize mental health and provide support at school, where students spend a huge portion of their time.
Mental health comes in all shapes and sizes. Many people assume that mental health struggles are a matter of pathology but, in reality, someone may have mental health challenges without ever receiving a diagnosis. When thinking about mental health in broad terms, a perfect analogy for understanding is a car. Cars need regular maintenance to make sure that things run smoothly for as long as possible and when things come up, a car needs to be checked out to get things back to baseline. Mental health is extremely similar in the sense that if we are not taking care of our mental health, it is more likely that things will come up. If these things are not addressed appropriately, they have the potential to impact our lives in ways that are less than ideal. The Acalanes Wellness Center is here to support your students no matter what their mental health looks like. Mental health is a journey, not a destination. Check in with your student for a better understanding of where they might be on their journey.

We’re in the home stretch of the school year! As it wraps up, it is just as important now as in the beginning of the year to prioritize mental health. An easy way to boost mental health is to get outside! Encourage your students to spend some time in the sun soaking up some mood boosting vitamin D or moving their bodies in a way that works for them. Being outside, specifically around water and lush greenery, taps into our natural state and promotes quicker stress relief. Take advantage of our break from the rain by spending some time outdoors as a family!

We’re in the home stretch of the school year! As it wraps up, it is just as important now as in the beginning of the year to prioritize mental health. An easy way to boost mental health is to get outside! Encourage your students to spend some time in the sun soaking up some mood boosting vitamin D or moving their bodies in a way that works for them. Being outside, specifically around water and lush greenery, taps into our natural state and promotes quicker stress relief. Take advantage of our break from the rain by spending some time outdoors as a family!
 
The final AUHSD Wellness parent education opportunity is taking place this Tuesday, Apr 18 at 6pm over Zoom. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office will be presenting crucial information on how to keep your kids safe on social media. While these parent education opportunities are free to attend, we do ask that you register hereprior to the webinar.

AUHSD Wellness Presents an In-Person Parent Education Event: Please join Addiction Specialist Dr. Allyson Mayo, Medical Director of Comprehensive Wellness Dr. Rebecca Parish, and CHS Wellness Coordinator Jenna Wrobel for a presentation detailing what parents and guardians need to know about fentanyl, Narcan, and other important drug updates. This will take place on Tuesday, Mar 13 at 6:30pm in the Campolindo Library.

 
Substance use continues to be an issue that adolescents are navigating within our AHS community. It’s important that our entire community is diligent in educating our students around the effects of various substances. Specifically, it is important that we continue to educate our students around smart and safe decision making and how the decisions we make today have the potential to impact our future. Whether or not you think that your student may be using substances, there is no better time than now to start having these conversations. Creating a dialogue is extremely effective in building trust with your AHS student vs. them feeling like they’re getting a lecture. The goal is to foster a space in which your student might feel more comfortable discussing these sensitive topics.
 
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist

The Wellness Center is starting up a couple of new groups. Check in with your AHS student and submit a referral if they are interested in participating.
 
The Wellness Center is starting up a couple of new groups. Check in with your AHS student and submit a referral if they are interested in participating.
 
Wellness Wednesdays started last week during academy: Is your student feeling stressed, overwhelmed or just wants to improve their understanding of mental health? They can join us during academy on Wednesdays to connect with others in a safe and supportive space. We will discuss various mental health topics in the hope of destigmatizing mental health challenges and improving our coping skills. Space is limited. Sign up for “Wellness Center” academy on Teachmore.
 
Expression Through Dance and Movement started Friday, Feb 24 during lunch. This is a program created to focus on increasing student confidence by using body movement to gain insight into behavior patterns and gaining the ability to express themselves through dance. This allows individuals to create new ways of coping with stressors. This program also provides an opportunity to make friends, try new activities and develop new coping skills. Stop by the Wellness Center for more info or to sign up.
 
Kiara Thomas- Wellness Intake Specialist