• In July, San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and San Mateo Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) were awarded $6 million dollars over 4 years as part of the Mental Health School Services Act Grant (MHSSA). You can learn more about the grant in this newsletter. This grant will provide 12 districts, (Bayshore, Jefferson Elementary, Jefferson Union, Pacifica, San Bruno, Hillsborough City, Burlingame Elementary, Cabrillo Unified, San Mateo Foster City, San Carlos, Sequoia Union and Ravenswood) with Tier 1 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum, Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Training from the Trauma Resource Institute for all district staff and data analysis in partnership with American Institute for Research (AIR), as well as Tier 2 interventions for specific districts. 

    JUHSD is one of the Districts that will receive Tier 2 support from the grant. We are grateful and excited about the interventions this grant will offer our students - especially after this wild year of the pandemic. Students need mental health support now more than ever. Here is what JUHSD is receiving from the grant for the next four years:

    • Community Resilience Model (CRM) Skills Trainings for staff, students and families: 16 people in JUHSD were trained to teach others CRM skills, which are simple & quick ways to regulate the nervous system and build resiliency. Trainings are already being offered at many sites, for families in the evenings and one weekends. Trainings will continue throughout the grant and can be tailored to specific needs. If you are interested in a training contact Melissa Ambrose. 
    • Social Emotional Learning curriculum. We are receiving two curricula:
      • This should be available for all in the Fall of 2021 and will include staff training 
      • The Belonging Curriculum will be given to all 9th graders starting in the Fall of 2021 and includes staff training from Project Wayfinder
      • Each site will choose the best classes/department to deliver the content throughout the year
      • Connect with Kids: Connect With Kids will be available to all teachers. They are building us a website that will contain many modules of SEL content with lesson plans, videos and parent/guardian components.
      • Project Wayfinder: This is a local organization that comes out of Stanford University. It is one of the few SEL curriculum specifically designed for high school students and encompasses many of the values of our District. 
    • Universal Screener: the County is developing a tool to check in with all students and parents about student's wellbeing and mental health. Wellness Counselors/School Social Workers and interns will follow up with all students that express a need for support
    • Three new Wellness/School Social Work positions:
      • The grant is funding three new positions for three years! 
      • We hope to have these filled by the start of Fall 2021
      • Sites TBD

    Contact:

    Melissa Ambrose, LCSW/PPS, License # 60254

    Wellness Coordinator, JUHSD

    Google Voice: (415) 498-0231 (text/cell)

    Office: (650) 550-7863

    Pronouns: she | her | hers