Wellness Center Resources
What is a School Wellness Center?
Supporting Mental Health Where Students Learn
Mental health is just as vital as phsyical health, and schools are one of the most powerful places to promote both.
Wellness Centers are safe, supportive spaces on school campuses where students can take a break, manage stress, and prioritize their mental well-being. These spaces offer a calm environment for self-guided activities like breathing excercises, journaling, or simply resting, and they provide an opportunity for students to connect with trained staff when additonal support is needed.
Across California, county offices of education and school districts have launched Wellness Centers in collaboration with community-based mental health partners. These centers are especially impactful in:
- Reducing anxiety and stress during the school day
- Promoting self-awareness and emotional regulation
- Connecting students and faimlies to vital mental health resources
- Creating inclusive, healing-centered environments for all youth
Whether students need a quiet moment or a check-in with a caring adult, Wellness Centers help meet them where they are, with compassion and purpose.
The Impact of School-Based Wellness Centers
Wellness Centers are more than just quiet spaces - they are hubs for holistic mental health care, family engagement, and school wide well-being.
🧠 Whole-Student Wellness
Wellness Centers offer integrated support that meet students' physical, emotional, mental and social needs - all in one space. From stress relief to peer support to mental health referrals, these centers can help students thrive both academically and personally.
🏡 Support for Families
These centers often serve as a connection point for family services, offering navigation support, culturally responsive resources, and wellness workshops that empower parents and caregivers to support youth mental health at home.
👩🏫 Staff Wellness & Training
School staff are btter equipped to support students when they're supported themselves. Wellness Centers can serve as a platform for professional learning on trauma-informed care, mental health awareness, and self-care strategies for educators.
🌿 Tools for Stress Management
With calming spaces and access to mindfulness tools, students can practice strategies that help build resilience, regulation, and emotional balance. Just a few minutes in a Wellness Center can help a student reset and return to class more focused and ready to learn.
⏳ Easy Access, No Barriers
Wellness Centers typically operate with an open-door model, allowing students to drop in before school, during lunch, or during a free period - no referral or appointment needed. This "no wrong door" approach reduces barriers and ensures help is always within reach.
🛑 Prevention Over Crisis
By offering early intervention through screenings, group sessions, or one-on-one support, Wellness Centers reduce the need for more intensive services later. This proactive model helps school identify challenges early and respond before issues escalate.
The Wellness in Schools Program Activities and Resource Hub
Your go-to hub for ready-to-use mental health resources, engaging activities, and student-centered supports!
The Wellness in Schools Program (WISP) Activities and Resource Hub is more than just a collection of links - it's a curated toolkit designed to be used directly inside WEllness Centers, Calming Corners, classrooms, or virtual spaces. Whether your school has a dedicated Wellness Center or is looking to create a Virtual Wellness Room, this hub offers a plug-and-play structure to help you get started or level up your supports. Inside you'll find:
- Self-guided calming and SEL activities for students to use during wellness center visits
- Printable resources, playlists, and prompts that encourage mindfulness, resilience, and emotional regulation
- Curated links to youth-friendly mental health hotlines, apps, and videos
- Classroom and group-friendly exercises that can be led by staff or explored individually
- A model that can be easily adapted to build your own digital or in-person wellness experience
This hub is designed with flexibility in mind - perfect for integrating into your physical Wellness Center, Google Classroom, school counseling website, or student services portal. No matter what your school's setup, you'll find actionable tools that are ready for immediate use and easy to share with students, families, and staff.
Additional Wellness Center Resources:
Build your on-campus Wellness Center with this all-in-one California planning guide.
A step-by-step blueprint for creating a school-based Wellness Center, including sample staffing models, design elements, and care coordination strategies.
Get statewide support through CDE's Project Cal-Well tools and resources.
State-funded training modules, resources, and evaluation tools that help schools integrate mental health supports in everyday school life.
Create simple, effective classroom Wellness Corners that support students self-regulation.
Create "Wellness Corners" in your classrooms using this practical guide with visuals, sensory tool ideas, and SEL-aligned strategies.
Access funding tips, templates, and behavioral health tools to launch your wellness space.
A resource hub for setting up school-based health and wellness spaces, including templates for parent consent, funding strategies, and students support pathways.
Explore SCCCOE's peer-led programs and trauma-informed practices that can strengthen mental health access
Peer led programs, trauma-informed practices, and partnership resources designed to increase student engagement and mental health access.
Find policy guidance, suicide prevention protocols, and tools to expand student wellness services.
Access policies, suicide prevention guides, telehealth supports, and guidance on implementing school wide mental health programs.
