Ventura County Grand Jury
• 2021-2022
Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in Ventura County Schools
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 15 findings
F01
The Grand Jury finds that mental health problems among youth are widespread, severe and have long-term repercussions.
No recommendations for this finding
F02
The Grand Jury finds that mental health issues can begin in childhood and, if left unaddressed, can continue into adulthood.
No recommendations for this finding
F03
The Grand Jury finds that the school setting is an effective venue to provide mental health services and early mental health intervention.
No recommendations for this finding
F04
The Grand Jury finds that the well-being of students affects their academic performance and success in school.
No recommendations for this finding
F05
The Grand Jury finds that Wellness Centers reduce stress and anxiety, increase feelings of safety and improve academic performance in students.
No recommendations for this finding
F06
The Grand Jury finds that school-based Wellness Centers improve children's access to mental health services.
No recommendations for this finding
F07
The Grand Jury finds that Ventura County has a shortage of mental health professionals at schools.
No recommendations for this finding
F08
The Grand Jury finds that Oxnard Union High School District has established a Wellness Center in each of its nine high schools.
No recommendations for this finding
F09
The Grand Jury finds that there are Wellness Centers in 18 out of 32 Ventura County public high schools.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The Grand Jury finds that there are no Wellness Centers in Ventura County public middle schools.
Related Recommendations (1)
R02
The Grand Jury recommends that by June 30, 2025, VCBH in collaboration with VCOE, develop a strategy to expand the Wellness Center pilot program into Ventura County public middle schools. (F-01, F-02, F-03,
F11
The Grand Jury finds that CVUSD’s utilization of college-level mental health interns is a method for supplementing mental health staff at each of its five high schools. Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools 9
No recommendations for this finding
F12
The Grand Jury finds that Ventura County school districts have obtained time-limited funding for initial establishment of Wellness Centers.
No recommendations for this finding
F13
The Grand Jury finds that current funding for Wellness Centers in Ventura County schools is not adequate for long-term sustainability.
Related Recommendations (1)
R03
The Grand Jury recommends that pursuant to Wellness Center continuity and expansion VCOE, Conejo Valley Unified School District, Simi Valley Unified School District, and Ventura Unified School District seek and obtain sustainable funding from public and private sources. (F-12, F-13,
F14
The Grand Jury finds that school districts in other California counties have successfully claimed Medi-Cal MH MAA matching funds to finance school- based mental health services.
No recommendations for this finding
F15
The Grand Jury finds that Medi-Cal MH MAA is under-utilized as a funding source for mental health services by Ventura County school districts. RECOMMENDATIONS
Related Recommendations (1)
R04
The Grand Jury recommends that pursuant to Wellness Center continuity and expansion, VCOE, Conejo Valley Unified School District, Simi Valley Unified School District, and Ventura Unified School District create an infrastructure to claim Medi-Cal MH MAA funds for Wellness Centers. (F-12, F-13. F-14, F-15) RESPONSES Responses required from: The following elected officer : Ventura County Superintendent of Schools (F-01, F-02, F-03, F-04, F-05, F-06,
Commendations 6
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CM1 Page 13The Grand Jury commends Conejo Valley Unified School District’s leadership and school board for locating private funding sources, developing college-intern staffing and establishing Wellness Centers at its five high schools. (F-07, F-11) The Grand Jury commends Oxnard Union High School District’s leadership and school board for expanding its Wellness Centers to all nine of its schools and for expanding the level of services at those centers beyond the VCOE and VCBH “pilot” funding levels. (F-08, F-09) REFERENCES Ref-01. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association. AAP-AACAP- CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, October 19, 2021. https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy- mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national- emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/ Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-02. Panchal, Nirmita; Kamal, Rabah; Cox, Cynthia; et al. Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID- 19 Pandemic, May 26, 2021.https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid- 19/issue-brief/mental-health-and-substance-use-considerations- among-children-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-03. Surgeon General of the United States. Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory 2021 pages 8, 12-13, 19-20. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth- mental-health-advisory.pdf Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-04. California Department of Education. California Healthy Kids Survey. Public Dashboard. Secondary Student. Step 1: State, February 8, 2021. https://calschls.org/reports-data/public-dashboards/secondary- student/ Accessed May 12, 2022 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools 11
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CM2 Page 14Ref-05. California Department of Education. California Healthy Kids Survey. Public Dashboard. Secondary Student. Step 1: County Ventura, February 8, 2021. https://calschls.org/reports-data/public- dashboards/secondary-student/ Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-06. California Department of Education. California Healthy Kids Survey: Ventura County Secondary 2017-2019 Main Report, June 26, 2020. https://data.calschls.org/resources/Ventura_County_1719_Sec_CHKS. pdf Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-07. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leading Causes of Death Visualization Tool. https://wisqars.cdc.gov/data/lcd/home?lcd=eyJjYXVzZXMiOlsiQUxMIl0 sInN0YXRlcyI6WyIwNiJdLCJyYWNlIjpbIjEiLCIyIiwiMyIsIjQiXSwiZXRobm ljaXR5IjpbIjEiLCIyIiwiMyJdLCJzZXgiOlsiMSIsIjIiXSwiZnJvbVllYXIiOlsiMj AxOSJdLCJ0b1llYXIiOlsiMjAxOSJdLCJudW1iZXJfb2ZfY2F1c2VzIjpbIjEwIl 0sImFnZV9ncm91cF9mb3JtYXR0aW5nIjpbImxjZDFhZ2UiXSwiY3VzdG9 tQWdlc01pbiI6WyIwIl0sImN1c3RvbUFnZXNNYXgiOlsiMTk5Il0sInlwbGx hZ2VzIjpbIjY1Il19 Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-08. Nesi, Jacqueline. The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health, North Carolina Medical Journal, March 2020, 81 (2) 116-121. https://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/content/81/2/116 Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-09. Anderson, Monica; Jiang, Jingjing. Teens’ Social Media Habits and Experiences. Pew Research Center, November 28, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-social- media-habits-and-experiences/ Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-10. Abi-Jaoude, Elia; Treurnicht Naylor, Karline; Pignatiello, Antonio. Smartphones, Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, February 10, 2020, 192 (6) E136-E141. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/192/6/E136 Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-11. Hopeful Futures Campaign. America’s School Mental Health Report Card, February 2022, page 5. https://hopefulfutures.us/wp- content/uploads/2022/02/FINAL-EDITS-Master_022322.pdf Accessed May 12, 2022 Ref-12. California Children’s Trust. Reimagining Child Well Being in Santa Clara County. Financing Mental Health and Equity in Child Serving Systems, August 3, 2021 12 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools
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CM3 Page 15Ref-13. Copeland, William E; Alaie, Iman; Johnsson, Ulf; et al. Associations of Childhood and Adolescent Depression With Adult Psychiatric and Functional Outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry August 03, 2020. https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(20)31337-X/fulltext Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-14. Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission. Every Young Heart and Mind: Schools as Centers of Wellness, October 7, 2020, pages 2, 8-10, 24, 28, 30. https://mhsoac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/schools_as_centers_of_welln ess_final.pdf Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-15. Interviews with relevant persons Ref-16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adolescent and School Health. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-17. National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation. Youth Mental Health: Trends and Outlook, February 22, 2021. https://nihcm.org/publications/youth-mental-health-trends-and- outlook?msclkid=cdf9b024b47811ec8d4d8c32d4d520e1 Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-18. Ventura County Office of Education. Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs: California Health Kids Survey (CHKS). https://www.vcoe.org/Comprehensive-Health-and-Prevention- Programs/California-Healthy-Kids-Survey-CHKS Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-19. Ventura County Behavioral Health. Mental Health Services Act: About MHSA. https://vcbh.org/en/about-us/mental-health-services-act Accessed May 17, 2022 Ref-20. California Legislative Information. Welfare and Institutions Code, Chapter 3: Mental Health Student Services Act [5886- 5886]. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawC ode=WIC&division=5.&title=&part=4.&chapter=3.&article Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-21. California Health & Human Services Agency. Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. https://www.chhs.ca.gov/home/children- and-youth-behavioral-health-initiative/ Accessed May 13, 2022 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools 13
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CM4 Page 16Ref-22. Mental Health America. Youth Data 2021. Youth Ranking 2021. Youth with MDE who Did Not Receive Mental Health Services 2021. https://mhanational.org/issues/2021/mental-health-america-youth- data#five Accessed May 16, 2022 Ref-23. Hoover, S.; Lever, N.; Sachdev, N.; et al. Advancing Comprehensive School Mental Health: Guidance From the Field. Baltimore, MD: National Center for School Mental Health. University of Maryland School of Medicine, September 2019, pages 15-17 https://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/media/SOM/Microsites/NCSMH/D ocuments/Bainum/Advancing-CSMHS_September-2019.pdf Accessed May 13, 2022 Ref-24. PBIS Rewards. What is MTSS? https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/what-is-mtss/ Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-25. San Benito Live. SBHS Focuses on Intervention. Courtesy of San Benito High School. https://sanbenitolive.com/sbhs-focuses-on- intervention/ Accessed May 17, 2022 Ref-26. Onsite observation by members of Grand Jury Ref-27. Ventura County Office of Education. Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs: Wellness Centers. https://www.vcoe.org/Comprehensive-Health-and-Prevention- Programs/Wellness-Center Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-28. California School Based Health Alliance. About School Health Programs. https://www.schoolhealthcenters.org/school-based- health/programs/ Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-29. Soleimanpour, Samira; Geierstanger, Sara P.; Kaller, Shelly; et al. The Role of School Health Centers in Health Care Access and Client Outcomes. American Journal of Public Health, September 1, 2010, 100 (9), 1597-1603. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2009.186833 Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-30. Ventura County Office of Education. School Districts in Ventura County. https://www.vcoe.org/vc-districts Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-31. California School Dashboard Reports. https://www.caschooldashboard.org/search Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-32. Ventura County Office of Education. State & Federal Accountability. https://www.vcoe.org/accountability Accessed May 14, 2022 14 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools
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CM5 Page 17Ref-33. Ventura County Behavioral Health. Services: Mental Health Outreach Programs. https://vcbh.org/en/programs-services/education-outreach Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-34. Care Solace. https://www.caresolace.org/ Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-35. Diversity Collective. Youth Services/Education Services. https://www.diversitycollectivevc.org/services/#youth-services Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-36. Volunteer Ventura County. Agencies: BRITE: Building Resilience and Inclusion Through Engagement (formerly Straight Up). https://www.volunteerventuracounty.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=5 3782 Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-37. Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area. Collaborative Educational Services (COEDS). https://www.vcselpa.org/For- Educators/Social-Emotional-Services/Collaborative-Educational- Services-COEDS Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-38. Interface Children & Family Services. https://www.icfs.org/ Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-39. Board of Supervisors Ventura County, Regular Meeting Agenda, February 08, 2022, Item 45. https://ventura.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?compiledMeetingDocum entFileId=19066 Accessed May 14, 2022 Ref-40. Ferrey, Ignacio; Sakashita, Kimi. Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. Center for Healthy Schools and Communities. School Health Center 2020-21 Preliminary Evaluation Highlights. Ref-41. Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission. Responding to COVID-19: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Schoolchildren, July 2020, page 3. http://mhsoac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/Schools%20and%20Mental%2 0Health%20Draft%20Report_Cover%20Memo%20on%20COVID- 19%20Response_0.pdf Accessed May 15, 2022 Ref-42. California School Based Health Alliance. Connecting Students to Mental Health Services: Creative Collaborations, Funding, and Evidence-Based Practices, September 2014, pages 22-28, 38. http://www.schoolhealthcenters.org/wp- content/uploads/2014/10/Connecting-Students-to-Mental-Health- Services_FINAL.pdf Accessed May 15, 2022 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools 15
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CM6 Page 18Ref-43. California Department Health Care Services. Mental Health Medi-Cal Administrative Activities. MH MAA Implementation Plan, Second Revision, July 1, 2021. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/MH- MAA.aspx Accessed May 15, 2022 Ref-44. California Department of Education. Senate Bill 75: Medi-Cal for Students Workgroup Recommendations, October 2021, pages 3-4, 9-10. https://ahea.assembly.ca.gov/sites/ahea.assembly.ca.gov/files/CDE% 20SB75_Medi-Cal%20for%20Students_ADA_Report.pdf Accessed May 15, 2022 Ref-45. California Children’s Trust. Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools, pages 3 & 7. https://cachildrenstrust.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/08/practicalguide.pdf Accessed May 15, 2022 16 Mental Health Services and Wellness Centers in VC Schools
Agency Responses 1
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 5
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Oxnard Union High School District
School District
Simi Valley Unified School District
School District
Ventura County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office
Ventura County County Superintendent of Schools
Elected County Office
Ventura Unified
School District