The Wellness Center officially opened on Thursday in room J17 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, according to Board Communications Specialist Scott Forstner. In attendance were members of the MUSD board, Santa Clara County School District employees, and MHS administrators and teachers.
Funding for the various wellness centers that are integrated across the county was secured in 2020 through a state grant under the Mental Health Student Services Act, County Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann Dewan said. The grant provides funding to the whole Santa Clara County school districts, with 19 wellness centers already established at various locations, she said.
“Our vision and our hope and dream is that every young person in Santa Clara County who attends a public school has access to a wellness center on their school campus,” Dewan said.
The Wellness Center was located in the MHS library last year, MUSD Executive Director for All Learners Mary Doerpinghaus said.
“In the first two months, we had 554 student visits,” Doerpinghaus said. “We had 130 or so students come through, so some of those students were repeat visitors. We had 16 students in crisis. Nobody wants to talk about that. That’s why we’re here.”
This year, the Wellness Center was reopened in J17 as a more permanent location on campus, School-Linked Services Coordinator Nicole Stewart said.
“We recognize that you need a space on this campus where you can go and be with people and be with professionals,” School Board President Chris Norwood said. “That can help you so that you can continue to exist on this campus, and then learn how to make decisions beyond the school day into your life.”
The wellness center’s facilities include coloring sheets and slime, which occasionally is looked down upon, Stewart said.
“I cannot tell you how many times those kids come in crying, dysregulated, upset, and they sit down and they color or they sit down, and they use clay or slime or something that seems a little elementary, but it regulates their bodies,” Stewart said. “Then they can go back to class not just to go back to class and not be here, but to go back to class and actually learn because our brains can’t absorb any information if our nervous system is dysregulated.”
The wellness center will continue to be vital for students, as it may prevent tragedies from occurring, Norwood said.
“We look forward to the center’s growth,” Dewan said. “We’ll be collecting the data and observing its impact and how well it serves the Milpitas High School community.”