Mental Health Doesn't Have

to be Scary!

October is not only the month of Halloween, but also a month of awareness for many important causes and issues that affect millions of young people around the world. As school staff, we have the opportunity and responsibility to educate ourselves and our students about these causes and to show our support and solidarity with those who are impacted by them. Contra Costa Mental Health Champions of the month will highlight ways that students are raising awareness for important causes on their campuses.

CONTRA COSTA MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS OF THE MONTH

Dougherty Valley High School NAMI on Campus Club

By Megan Suh 



DVHS NAMI Club is excited for another year of spreading mental health awareness and providing an inclusive supportive community. NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and is the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

Last year was our first year as a club at DVHS and we held various activities/events throughout the year including a Bullying Prevention Campaign, mental health presentations, wellness activities, and helping organize a mental health resource fair at the end of the year.

We collaborated often with other clubs and community partners receiving a lot of support from our Wellness Center, NAMI Contra Costa, and the Wellness in Schools Program. We are starting this new year strong with close to 70 students filling out our interest form during Club Day and kicking off our first meeting with 30 students in attendance.

In September, we also collaborated with our Wellness Center and other clubs to hold an event in honor of Suicide Prevention Month. For October, we are bringing back the Bully Free Campaign and plan on reaching out to as many clubs to have them join our campaign and gain schoolwide participation. Please check us out and follow on Instagram: @namidvhs to stay updated on what we are doing throughout the school year. Let's continue to #EndTheStigmaTogether!

Congratulations to Megan for being awarded the prestigious Alter Health Group Mental Health Campus Partnership contest, which called on California students to propose ways of enhancing mental health awareness and support among their peers.

Further Reading: 

Alter Health Group Awards Scholarship to California Student to Enhance Mental Health Awareness and Support

Heritage High School Hosts Wellness Fair

Zain Memon, the executive director of Healtheory and senior at Heritage High School, organized a health fair for their school community on September 28, 2023. The fair aimed to promote healthy lifestyles for students and staff who want to improve their physical and mental well-being.

WISP Liaisons Kathy Estrada and Edmund Arnold were very excited to attend the health fair that offered activities, and resources for students and staff to learn more about mental well-being and how to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

The health fair also featured organizations such as NAMI and various resources for students and staff regarding school supports available to students, tobacco use prevention, sexual health education, and mental health supports and services.

The Wellness in Schools Program would like to thank and congratulate Zain for the invitation and we hope that this will encourage more schools to put together these type of health events for their students.

Further Reading: 

Diablo Magazine's 2022 Threads of Hope - Zain Memon

The 'Zen Den' opens at Heritage High School

If your school is interested in establishing a student wellness club or need help connecting to resources for mental wellness fairs, please contact the Wellness in Schools Program at (925) 942-3401. WISP looks forward to supporting your schools in this work.

Have you registered for our Mental Health School-Based Collaborative Meetings yet?

The Wellness in Schools Program would love to invite you to our quarterly

Mental Health School-Based Collaborative. This platform is open to school based mental health providers, counselors, wellness staff, administrators,

district leaders, and local community partners in the County to address the mental health needs of our students.

Join us on November 1, 2023 for our next Mental Health School Based Collaborative. 

Register Here

CCCOE WISP Hosts Suicide Prevention Training:

Suicide Prevention Training: Working Together to Save Lives

On September 20, 2023, the WISP Program hosted a suicide prevention training for school partners. The training was a collaborative effort from WISP, CCCOE Student Programs, and Amelia Whalen, Wellness Coordinator of the Acalanes High School District.

The training was attended by more than 40 mental health support staff who support students within Contra Costa County. The training focused on the scope and impact of suicide, the risk and protective factors for suicide, the warning signs and behaviors that indicate someone may be suicidal, the best practices and strategies of preventing suicide, the skills and techniques for holding a safe and supportive conversation with someone who is suicidal, and resources and referrals available for suicide prevention and post-vention.

WISP is excited to announce that there will be another suicide prevention training opportunity January 30th. To register for the January training, please click here.

To Learn about upcoming Training/Events provided by the Wellness in Schools Program, please visit our website:

CCCOE Wellness in Schools Program

Upcoming Professional Training Opportunities

Upcoming Events in Contra Costa

October Mental Health Resource Spotlights

Mental Health America Spanish-Language Resources

Mental Health America has created a spanish-language resources hub which provides a comprehensive collection of mental health resources for Spanish-Speaking Communities.

Centro de Recursos de Salud Mental En Espanol

Other Mental Health America Resources:

• Culture, Community, and Connection: 2023 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit
• Selfies, Social, and Screens: Navigating Virtual Spaces for Youth: 2023 Back to School Resources

Other Mental Health Hotlines

You can always call 211 to speak to someone and find local assistance, but there are also dedicated helplines available to anyone in the U.S.

• Crisis Text Line: Text the word ‘Home’ to 741-741
• Teen Line: Call 1-800-852-8336; Text Teen to 839863
• The Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ youth: Call 1-866-488-7386
• The Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860

Recipe of the Month

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This roasted butternut squash salad with onions, bacon, toasted pecans, raisins, and chopped romaine lettuce is drizzled with maple syrup and served warm.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time:1 hour

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices of bacon

1 cup sliced onion

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1/3 cup raisins

2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. Brush cut sides of butternut squash with olive oil. Wrap each squash half tightly in aluminum foil
3. Roast cut halves in the preheated oven until they both begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Remove squash from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove foil and slive into 3/4-inch thick slices. Remove skin from each slice and cut 3/4-inch cubes. Set 8 cups of cubed squash, reserving any remaining squash for another use.
4. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Add onions to the skillet and cook in the bacon grease for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 8 cups squash and cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are soft and beginning to carmelize, and squash cubes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Place romaine lettuce in large serving bowl; crumble bacon on top and add pecans and raisins. Add butternut squash-onion mixture, toss to combine. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm.