Kaleb Coleman is an eighth grader at Wangenheim Middle School in Mira Mesa. He said he struggles with stress.
“Like if I have a big test coming up or if there's like a problem at home or something, I might be really stressed out and, like, scared to go to that class because I don't know if I'm going to have a breakdown."
But accessing a counselor hasn’t been easy for 13-year-old Coleman.
“At the school I was before, there was like only one counselor, and they were always busy so I could never talk to them," Coleman said. "Once I came here in sixth grade, I was able to talk to all three of them, so I was able to feel much more open and seek help."
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide, you can call, text or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Last school year, California's student-to-counselor ratio was 464 to 1, almost twice the recommended ratio by the American School Counselor Association. A new state-funded certified wellness coach program aims to address the shortage. The goal is for these nonclinicians to ease the burden on school counselors and social workers.
Ben Gamache works for the state Department of Health Care Access and Information, which launched the program earlier this year.
“There is a serious need right now for mental health services for our children and youth. And we saw that really exacerbated after the pandemic,” he said.
Gamache said the program is part of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's Master Plan for Kids Mental Health and the state's Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. The state allocated $338 million to develop and implement a new behavioral health profession to support this need and to try and address the mental health challenges children and youth are experiencing in California.
San Diego Unified School District received nearly $950,000 to help fund 10 wellness coaches. Danielle Octon is one of them. She counsels high school students.
“What they mostly come in for, in my particular cluster, is a lot of anxiety, stress, time management, lack of motivation. There's depression, suicide ideation,” Octon said.
Wangenheim Middle School has more than 700 students. Principal Matt Fallon said they will share a wellness coach with two neighboring schools.
“There are times in which counselors aren't available. So having a wellness coach here would help maintain a consistent offering of support for all of our kids,” he said.
