Wellness Together's 8th Annual Student Mental Wellness Conference: Full Schedule

4:00pm PDT

Foundations of Mental Health - Utilizing a tier 1 mental health curriculum for high schools

Wednesday October 9, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT

Participants will learn about a free mental health curriculum, Foundations of Mental Health, that can be used with high school students and integrated as part of a school's MTSS plan for emotional and behavioral support. Participants will learn about the curriculum's priorities and alignment to SB224, have an experiential overview, and feel prepared to integrate this tool into their schools and classrooms.

Speakers

Mary Champion

School Psychologist, Sonoma County Office of Education

Rebekah Pope

Program Coordinator, Sonoma County Office of Education

Rebekah Pope is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who loves providing school-based mental health services and is passionate about helping schools meet the needs of their most vulnerable students. She has had the honor of providing a range of prevention, early intervention, and healing-centered... Read More →

Carolina Herrera

Danielle Eaton

Program Coordinator, Sonoma County Office of Education

Wednesday October 9, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
210D

School & District-Wide Leadership

8:30am PDT

Reimagining school-based mental health: A holistic systemic approach

Thursday October 10, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am PDT

210D

Through evidence-based programs and practices, using a holistic approach to improving student mental health through collaborative communication has been proven beneficial for the entire system. Using real-life examples and data from school-based programs at a Bay Area behavioral health organization, Maritza will empower school staff to “put on their oxygen mask” and learn effective strategies to implement their own programs to support families, educators, and the community.

Speakers

Maritza Henry

Director of School Based Services, Caminar

Brian Hinojosa

Program Manager, Caminar- Family and Children Services

Thursday October 10, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am PDT
210D

Student and Community Mental Health

12:30pm PDT

Maintaining Wellness Through Effective Leadership

Thursday October 10, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

210D

Effective leadership helps maintain wellness in EVERY
organization. Participants will be able to address difficult issues, problems, and
situations, to resolve problems in the initial stages, helping schools and organizations
build and maintain a positive work culture. Join us to learn strategies and apply tools
that will improve your leadership/management style, build trust, collaboration, while
creating a sense of safety within your school or organization.
1. Participants will be able to see ways that they can improve their own leadership by 1).
Assessing and working on themselves 2) ""Being the Message"" to staff and co-workers
3) Developing a ""Run-to-the-Fire"" mentality, 4) Learning to manage your emotions, 5) ""Don't Make It Worse"". Participants will learn ways to improve communication, deliver bad news respectfully, and manage/resolve conflicts.

Speakers

Steve Williams

Site Support Administrator, Wellness Together

My name is Steve Williams, and I am the Site Support Administrator for Wellness Together, a non-profit organization that provides mental health services to school children, families, and adults primarily in California, but also serving students in New York. I am a lifelong public-school... Read More →

Andrea Zimmerman

Board Member/Retired Educator, Wellness Together

Hi, I'm Andrea Zimmerman. As a former school administrator, teacher and professional development specialist, I have worked in schools and for students for over 30 years. I also am a mental health advocate. I help schools to expand mental health services and providing professional... Read More →

Thursday October 10, 2024 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
210D

School & District-Wide Leadership

3:30pm PDT

Beyond Walls: Innovating Spaces for Student Well-being

Thursday October 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

210D

Dive into the groundbreaking WellSpace initiative with us, an endeavor spearheaded by the Orange County Department of Education's (OCDE) WellEd team, in collaboration with Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) and other esteemed partners. Uncover the impact behind ""spaces of calm"" or WellSpaces, thoughtfully woven into school-communities to uplift the mental and emotional well-being of every student.

This transformative session goes beyond mere infrastructure. Together, we will explore how the initiative is tailored for our most vulnerable populations, including students and families experiencing homelessness and those in the foster care system. By offering targeted support beyond conventional school settings, we are reshaping the narrative of comprehensive support and curating environments dedicated to improving the health, well-being and educational outcomes of all students. Participants will increase awareness on developing spaces of calm within their school communities, and acquire information related to lessons learned, considerations, and practices to support sustainability of these spaces in school communities.

Speakers

Mayu Iwatani

Administrator, Mental Health and Wellness, Orange County Department of Education

Mayu Iwatani has 20 years combined experience in School Social Work, School Counseling, Student Services, Foster Care and Mental Health and Wellness in the educational field. She started her career as a School Social Worker in a district in Orange County, California, and since has... Read More →

Jocelyne Saldana Flores

Thursday October 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
210D

Student and Community Mental Health

10:15am PDT

The new role of mental health in schools

Friday October 11, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

210D

This presentation will provide tools like mindfulness and activities to assist mental health providers in school settings. Thinking outside of the box to help students who are in need of mental health support. There has been a huge increase with mental health needs and having some tools to better assist these children that there only access to mental health is at school.

Speakers

Lorena Magallanes

Mental Health Support Specialist, Bonita Unified

Lorena Magallanes is a licensed marriage and family therapist providing support to families, children, youth, and couples. She has been providing therapeutic services since 2011. She is also currently part of the CDE SEL Learning Work Group, The School Counselor Academy Advisory Committee... Read More →

Friday October 11, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
210D

Student and Community Mental Health

1:45pm PDT

Peer-to-Peer Program Service Options

Friday October 11, 2024 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

210D

This breakout session is geared towards schools interested in setting up a Peer-to-Peer Program and will discuss the “what” of peer-to-peer programs. Participants will walk away with a vision of what a peer-to-peer program might look like in their school context. The presenters will detail several service options for peer programs including peer education, conflict mediation, peer counseling, restorative practices facilitators, and brief intervention facilitators. Participants will also learn how the El Dorado County Office of Education has worked with LEA’s to implement programs, including the funding of programs.

Speakers

Tim Hooey

Coordinator, Mental Health and Wellness, El Dorado County Office of Education

Hilary Roberts

Executive Director, Peer Advocates Training and Consulting

Friday October 11, 2024 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
210D

Student and Community Mental Health

3:00pm PDT

Restorative Practices: The Art and Science of Talking Circles

Friday October 11, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

210D

The agenda for this session is designed to explore and delve into the transformative power of Talking Circles, particularly within educational settings. We aim to highlight key aspects of Talking Circles in schools, emphasizing their benefits over traditional disciplinary measures such as suspensions. Throughout the agenda, we will review the Talking Circle process, discuss the practical applications within educational environments, and actively engage participants through interactive demonstrations.

Speakers

David Ashby

Assistant Principal, Fusion Charter School

Mark Evanoff

School Counselor, Fusion Charter School

I’ve had the privilege of serving as a school counselor at Fusion Charter in Turlock, California, since 2016. With over 20 years of experience in education and counseling, I specialize in trauma-informed practices and am passionate about creating a safe, supportive environment for... Read More →

Anaheim SMWC Circle Presentation 2024 pdf

Friday October 11, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
210D

School & District-Wide Leadership

Wellness Together's 8th Annual Student Mental Wellness Conference