School district launches mental health service
Online assistance made available
San Rafael City Schools is launching a free mental health service for district students, families and staff.
Superintendent Jim Hogeboom said this week the district was launching Care Solace, a round-the-clock online assistance to help people find local mental health-related programs and counseling.
He said district students, workers and families will be able to access Care Solace either through a dedicated phone line or website.
“All school staff and families can use the tool to connect with community-based mental health care resources and providers,” Hogeboom said. “Their proprietary care navigation system taps into a vast database of mental health care resources to find carefully vetted local therapists and programs in minutes.”
More information is at caresolace.com/srcs.
“SRCS is dedicated to prioritizing mental health and wellness, and is excited to bring this new resource to our community,” Hogeboom said.
Focus continues statewide on strengthening mental health resources during the pandemic. On Tuesday, a coalition to improve mental health for kids, families and school staff was also announced.
Laura Talmus, co-founder of Beyond Differences, a San Rafael nonprofit that has signed on to the statewide coalition, said the need for mental health has been heightened during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The pandemic has given us all a taste of social isolation and a desire to feel connected,” Talmus said at an online news conference in which officials announced the new public-private partnership called the Coalition for School Well-being.
The coalition, led by Tony Thurmond, the state schools superintendent, will seek to improve awareness in three areas: social isolation, racial and social equity and mental health.
Celebrities such as actor Goldie Hawn, director Ava DuVernay and NBA star Kevin Long have signed on as partners in the effort.
“Our greatest defense against stress is the ability to change our minds, to change our thinking,” said Hawn, who created the nonprofit MindUp to foster school curriculum based on neuroscience.
Celebrities such as actor Goldie Hawn, director Ava DuVernay and NBA star Kevin Long have signed on as partners in the effort.