County awards local high schools funding for wellness centers
– The County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Department has launched the “Pathways to Student Wellness” grant initiative, awarding $300,000 to expand wellness centers at eight local high schools. Awarded campuses include Arroyo Grande High School, Atascadero High School, Morro Bay High School, Nipomo High School, Central Coast New Tech High School, Paso Robles High School, San Luis Obispo High School, Shandon High School, and Templeton High School.
The program, administered through the county’s Behavioral Health Prevention and Outreach Services Division, provides $37,500 to each participating campus to strengthen behavioral health and social-emotional support services based on student needs.
“Having services at the school has meant that I was able to get the support I needed,” a San Luis Obispo County high school student said. “My family has had a lot of stress and changes this year. If I had to go to a clinic for mental health services, I don’t think it would have happened.”
According to the county, all participating campuses received the first of four scheduled grant disbursements during spring and have already begun using the funding to expand services and resources.
“Expanding behavioral health and social-emotional learning services on school campuses through wellness centers creates meaningful opportunities for students to access support where they learn and grow every day,” said Mandee Culbert, behavioral health supervisor for the County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Department. “The Behavioral Health Department is proud to partner with our local school districts in expanding these important services while remaining committed to pursuing additional sustainable school-based behavioral health opportunities through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative.”
Austin Miller, who oversees services at San Luis Obispo High School’s Wellness Center, said the funding helps strengthen the school’s ability to provide support services to students.
“The SLOHS Wellness Center has been able to offer a wide range of services to meet the variety of needs of students here — everything from a calming space for a reset during the school day to individualized treatment offered through Behavioral Health,” Miller said. “A highlight this year has been a number of students who self-referred for assistance with substance use and were able to receive that support through our Behavioral Health staff. This pathway for support speaks volumes to the collaboration between Behavioral Health services and the Wellness Center as a resource students and families trust.”
The grants are funded through California’s Behavioral Health Student Services Act and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority. The county applied for the funding to support local schools and districts in expanding student mental wellness resources and strengthening systems connected to California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and Student Assistance Programming.
Participating schools will report wellness center outcomes to the county twice each year. The county said the data will help identify behavioral health needs, assess service gaps, and guide future planning and investment.
“This strategic funding comes at a pivotal moment in the evolving landscape of statewide behavioral health,” said Frank Warren, interim behavioral health director for the County of San Luis Obispo. “By securing and distributing these BHSSA resources, the County aims to complement existing local investments in California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in the long-term wellbeing of children, students, and families throughout San Luis Obispo County.”
More information about County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Services, including youth behavioral health support and school-based services, is available at SLOBehavioralHealth.
