Santa Barbara Unified School District celebrates implementation of mental health initiatives with ribbon cutting
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- The Santa Barbara Unified School District is putting an emphasis on mental health in schools. The district held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the implementation of several mental health initiatives.
“It’s really important to have these initiatives that we’re working on because there’s students out there that do need that support could have that extra sort of hug from the community," said Erick Gonzalez Ramirez, a student at Santa Barbara High School.
These efforts are being called “The culture of care." Suicide prevention signs, information campaigns, and wellness centers have opened at each high school in the district, bringing hope and letting students know they're not alone and it's okay to not be okay. Students helped in the creation of this district wide initiative.
“As a student who had dealt with mental health issues in the past, its just sometimes really hard in moments when you are feeling anxious having a panic attack and you don’t know where to go and having a room available like this is just so liberating for me and for other students who normally might have to rush to the bathroom or something like that," said San Marcos senior student Kian Strenn.
A wellness center has also been set up at a pilot junior high.
“This is a place where students can come and take a breath, find support and know that they’re not alone," said Santa Barbara County of Behavioral Wellness, Suzanne Grimmesey.
The event was co-hosted by state senator Monique Limón who said as a mother, former school board member and former student of the district, having suicide prevention signs around is something she would have wanted.
In 2023 San Marcos student Shylah Alexander was killed by a train near Goleta, shaking San Marcos High school.
“I’ve seen the strength and the incredible resiliency of these students and the teachers and of the faculty, the staff as they’ve supported one another through loss and i’ve seen the need for spaces just like this," said Grimmesey.
