California Adds a Mental Health Curriculum Requirement in K-12
On Jan. 1, a new law took effect, mandating that the California Department of Education include mental health in state standards by Jan. 1, 2023. Districts must begin teaching the new curriculum by Jan. 1, 2024.
The law requires that middle and high school students learn the signs and symptoms of conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Read more ›
This past fall, students and staff at close to 200 public schools in Wake County, N.C., which includes Raleigh, received an unexpected break. Schools were closed on November 12 for a day of reflection and preparation.” That same day, schools in Cumberland County, N.C., about 60 miles south, had the day off for “Wellness Friday.” 
February 1 marks the start of Black History Month, bringing opportunities for critical reflection and honest conversation with our students about our history and futures. The 2022 Black History Month theme is “
Early in his first quarter at the University of California-Davis, Ryan Manriquez realized he needed help. A combination of pressures — avoiding covid-19, enduring a breakup, dealing with a disability, trying to keep up with a tough slate of classes — hit him hard. 
Helicopter, bulldozer, snowplow, tugboat, Velcro, tiger, and now drone—these are all the deprecatory labels that we use to describe today’s overinvolved, and sometimes aggressive, parents. Throughout two decades as a school counselor, I have witnessed these child-rearing styles and many others. I am not a fan of such pejorative terms, as the reality is, parents love their children. It is this love, and the hopes and fears it ignites, that drive parents’ actions. 
Schools might be reopened, but the mental health impact of the pandemic has lingered for thousands of California students. More than half of those surveyed during the pandemic said they lack motivation, often feel depressed and have not received counseling services, according to a recent study. 
Hear from the perspective of a personal narrative what it “really” means to live with ADHD. Glen Elliott, PhD, MD, and his son, Mark Elliott, MD, psychiatrist, talk about their personal experience with ADHD and the different types of ADHD, ADHD symptoms, the connection between ADHD and executive functioning, treatment options and more. 
Though ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood, it can also affect adults. Watch this 5-minute video for teens and young adults about some of the signs and symptoms. 
For students with learning differences, the shifts from online learning to hybrid to in-person (and back) have made a part of their life that is already challenging exceedingly more difficult. In this Voices of Compassion podcast episode, we sat down with Dr. Nicole Ofiesh, Director of the 
There are many tools and strategies that can help with organization, attention, focus, planning, and prioritization. The following are some tools our learning specialists love and use at the 
