Rep. Jimmy Panetta convened a group of panelists at the Santa Cruz County Department of Education on Thursday to discuss youth mental health struggles at the local and national levels. highlighted the $1 million grant secured for From left to right: Jasmine Najera, Catalina Lopez, Jimmy Panetta, Faris Saba and Hayley Numan. (PK Hattis – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz County Department of Education announced plans this week to establish wellness centers in county public schools, working out at a roundtable hosted by Rep. Jimmy Panetta and including local officials, behavioral health professionals and students. It was started.
“Our students are at stake,” said Faris Sabah, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Education. “We see this as a call to action and we must continue to double down on our commitment to keeping our schools safe and ensuring they have the supportive spaces they deserve.”
Young people are suffering at both local and national levels, Sabah said, a problem that has only been exacerbated by the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, 284,000 students deal with major depression, two-thirds of which go untreated, and suicide rates have risen to the second leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds. Sadness and hopelessness are on the rise, especially among LGBTQ students and students of color, Saba said.
Backed by a $1 million federal grant secured by Panetta, Sabba and his team are working with local school districts on a roadmap to launch wellness centers at two local schools as early as next year. created. Although its location is still unknown, the Behavioral Health Hub will provide screening, intervention, counseling, and crisis management services for students, as well as linkages with other mental health he support avenues. They have a Wellness Navigator to welcome students and assess their needs, and a Wellness Coordinator/Clinician who can provide services and coordinate care.
Jasmine Nájera is CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance and was a roundtable panelist. The Watsonville-based behavioral health organization is a key partner in this effort, with Nájera expressing the need to “rejuvenate.” This gives young people the tools to address their behavioral health needs by the time they enter high school.
“We need to create opportunities for health and recovery at a younger age, normalize the language of health and recovery, and normalize it to reduce stigma,” Najera said.
fundraising momentum
Speakers said the urgency of the issue requires a swift and coordinated response, which also comes at a significant financial cost.
The wellness center has four layouts and an estimated total cost ranging from about $400,000 to $2.6 million, according to the County Department of Education.
Panetta scored a major win in this effort with a $1 million federal grant that helped establish health centers and expand services across the county.
“Students these days face challenges and stresses that they’re starting to hear about, but more importantly, they have to be aware of,” says Panetta. “We can and must do better for young people.”
Panetta underscores behavioral health services as his primary focus and has spearheaded efforts in the last Congress that included a $1 billion allocation request for school-based mental health grants Did.
“This is progress,” Panetta said. “But as we all know, we still have a lot of work to do.”
Sabbah said his office will continue to move projects forward using a “braided fund” approach. This includes researching grant opportunities, working with local providers, and reimbursements from Medi-Cal and private insurance companies. Income or insurance status.
student voice
The roundtable discussion included comments from Catalina Lopez, a member of the county’s Youth Mental Health Leadership Council. Lopez was her senior year at Watsonville High School, which has her own wellness center, and she’s already making an impact, she said.
“(The center) has served all students, from those who have the occasional bad day to those who need ongoing support,” Lopez said.
She stressed the need to reduce stigma about mental health services and suggested training to help parents, caregivers and teachers better understand how they can support local youth. also emphasized the benefits of peer-led discussion groups where young people who are not comfortable talking to adults “can talk to other students about what they are going through.”
“My goal is to end the stigma around mental health so people can easily get the support they need and teens are not afraid to express their feelings and be themselves. It allows us to build a community that knows it’s being seen and heard,” Lopez said.
