Building Mental Health Literacy

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Understanding the Developmental Needs of Children and Youth 

 Mental Health Schools

American Psychiatric Association 

• Mental Illness vs. Mental Health?

National Institute of Mental Health 

• Mental Disorders and Related Topics

Helpful Websites

• Teenmentalhealth.org
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Youth and Mental Illness. Is This Just a Stage?

• Mental Health in Childhood
• When to Seek Help

Get Help and Support

• NAMI: Help & Support 
• OCLinks - ochealthinfo.com
• Community Mental Health Services

  • Private Insurance: For more information call the local number on the back side of your insurance card.

    Medi-Cal: To access mental health or substance use disorder treatment through Medi-Cal:

  • Contact OCLinks for linkage to community services: 856-625-4667 
  • Contact your Medi-Cal managed care plan (CalOptima)
  • Contact the Medi-Cal Mental Health Care Ombudsman at 1-800-896-4042

• Local Mental Health Providers:

  • Western Youth Services: 714-871-5646 or 714-517-7107
  • OCAPICA: 714-636-6286

Parent Informational Videos

1. Understanding Developmental Stages
2. Fostering Healthy Relationships with Your Child

Spanish Video: Comprensión de las etapas de desarrollo: crianza de los hijos y relaciones

Helpful Resources for Parents 

The Parent Guide to Resilience

 resilienceguide.org

Bringing Out the Best in Families

Strengthening Family Relationships

Understand Ages and Stages

School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) 

All AUHSD schools have a mental health provider who works closely with the entire wellness team. The team includes school counselors, school psychologists, administrators, and other staff who support the student's needs at school and in the community. 

AUHSD is dedicated to building and maintaining school-based mental health services that include: 

• Identification and Referral 
• Screening, Evaluation, and  Assessment 
• Intervention, Treatment, Care Coordination, or Collaborative Care

Community-Based Mental Health (CBMH)

When it has been determined that a youth has a mental health disorder, our school teams work with the family and the community to access care. This process is heavily dependent on the individual needs of minors and available community resources. Parents or legal guardians have the ability to accept or decline services offered, or can pursue services on their own. Services include, but are not limited, to the following: 

• Referral and linkage to CBMH

• Collaborative Care -  Working with community providers as part of the support or mental health treatment plan.

When can youth receive services in schools?

When a need is identified and a mental health referral is made by staff, the mental health clinician will assess and determine if the minor is in need or may benefit from services.  

To receive services the following is needed: 

• Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) need to provide consent to services.
• California Minor Consent Laws - Minors 12 years and older can and do provide consent to services. (This is rare and usually happens on a case-by-case basis or when parents are not available.)

The exception to consent is when there is a concern for the minor's safety. This means that the information obtained leads staff to believe that the child is a danger to themselves, a danger to others, or is being harmed.