Solano County Office of Education - Mental Health & Wellness Supports

Mental Health & Wellness Supports

Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) has been an active partner in the Solano community advocating and working for more robust supports for the social and emotional needs of Solano students. Systems of support for students are in high demand, and SCOE is well positioned to support the Solano educators who are supporting students.

SCHOOL-BASED WELLNESS CENTERS

Solano County School Wellness Center Initiative

SCOE acquired three grants totaling $1,763,530 to support the establishment of school-based wellness centers across Solano County. 47 school based centers have been opened in Solano County, helping to position schools to better serve the social and emotional needs of students amidst the pandemic. SCOE’s wellness center program has provided the furnishings, wellness items and supports to open centers throughout Solano County. Wellness centers are intended to create a positive culture around mental health on school campuses, reducing negative stigmas.

Grants awarded to SCOE include funding from the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant issued by the California Department of Education, and a grant from Solano County Behavioral Health (SCBH) and a Health Systems Development Grant (HSG) from the County Medical Services Program (CMSP).

School-Based Wellness Centers Offer Students:

Culturally inclusive spaces to decompress for 10-20 minutes, art, meditation, music, check-ins with trusted adults, stigma reduction, suicide prevention supports, trainings, student groups/workshops, and access points for students who need higher level services.

MOBILE CRISIS UNIT FOR SCHOOLS

Through a contract from Solano County Behavioral Health (SCBH), SCOE provides school-based mobile crisis services and screening/assessment services to Solano schools. The services were implemented in collaboration with the county, school districts and school sites, local police departments and community partners.

SCOE has trained clinicians to serve as crisis specialists and respond to crisis situations on K-12 school campuses serving children and youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis. All students in need are served, regardless of insurance or immigration status, with the mission of de-escalating situations, linking families to necessary services, and supporting the coordination of care. School-based mobile crisis services provided through SCOE differ slightly from the community-based mobile crisis services provided by SCBH. The SCOE team specializes in supporting schools and districts and are a key local education agency (LEA) partner familiar with school communities and protocols.

Mental Health Screenings for Students

SCOE uses a universal mental health screening tool for Golden Hills students. Each student is offered the opportunity to voluntarily complete the screening aimed at highlighting areas of concern, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma exposure and early psychosis symptoms. Trained mental health staff have been able to quickly identify the areas where support is needed for a student, and route them to appropriate support services which included on-site therapeutic support and linkage to a variety of community-based organizations.

Trainings for Parents, Students & Educators

Solano County Behavioral Health (SCBH) and the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) received a Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) grant award of $4 million funded over five years, which will expand mental health services and supports for students in K-12 school sites across Solano County. With this funding, SCOE provides trainings for school personnel and for parents/caretakers in suicide prevention, behavior management and more. SCOE also provides student social emotional learning (SEL) workshops for classrooms and small groups around social skills, anger management, anti-bullying, safe social media, etc.

Social Emotional Learning for Students

Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) provides FREE social emotional learning workshops for students of all ages. These are offered whole classroom or in small groups for students who could benefit from additional SEL support. Classroom lessons are tailored to both general and special education students.

Suicide Prevention & Intervention Trainings

SCOE offers ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST participants learn to recognize when someone may be at risk of suicide and how to work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants do not need any formal training to attend the workshop. ASIST can be learned and used by anyone.

SCOE also offers SafeTALK through Living Works. The SafeTALK training provides in-depth skills to recognize signs of suicide, engage someone, and ensure a connection to safety. The in-person format includes powerful audiovisuals and real-life practice. This training will require a 4-hour time commitment.

Tiered Mental Health Supports for Schools

The robust system of supports that SCOE provides to Solano public schools are offered at different tiers.

Tier 1 Supports Include:

Suicide prevention training, technical assistance and consultation for suicide prevention plans, crisis protocols, crisis response, building parent liaison teams to provide support to families needing assistance with mental health concerns, screenings for students kindergarten through third grade.

Tier 2 Supports Include:

Screenings and assessments for students identified as at risk for dropping out of school, deeper crisis evaluation and safety planning, schools based mobile crisis intervention, 5150 hold and transport arrangement.