With daily headlines and warnings of a national youth mental health crisis, where can K-12 school systems and community leaders begin to address this daunting issue? Learn how a strategic partnership between the City of San Marcos and San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD) led to a robust mental health campaign and innovative framework to address the daunting student mental health challenges in our community. Through generous grant funds from the City, SMUSD was able to expand their existing mental health supports for students, families, and staff. These new supports included the launch of a new 24/7 crisis text line, a resource navigation service to facilitate a connection to outside care appointments and resources, and the creation of SMUSD Wellness Teams. Join us to learn how these supports were designed to holistically address barriers to mental health support.

After attending this session, you will be able to:
1. Describe current mental health trends in the K-12 setting and the impact on students' academic achievement.
2. Discuss the importance of building strong school-family-community partnerships to support mental health and well-being and identify educational partners in your community.
3. Identify ways to effectively communicate your mental health supports to all educational partners.
4. Create a plan to expand current mental health supports in your educational context.