Youth suicide is a growing concern, affecting millions of families across the world. The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2021 suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 20-34. In our own community, 18% of high school students...
The Wellness & Prevention Center has been supporting young people and their families as they return back to school for seven years, and there are some common concerns that we hear from teens and families each year. Typically, the biggest stressor at the beginning...
In October 2022, the Wellness & Prevention Coalition started a new five year cycle of funding through the Office of National Drug Control Policy Drug-Free Communities grant program. This competitive award will support collaborative work across sectors in the San...
You might picture a zombified teen with dark circles under their eyes, scrolling mindlessly through a social media page as the symbol of today's teen lifestyle. Staying offline can be difficult for any teen as they need to keep up with every trend and stay in the loop...
In the United States, at least one in five adolescents lives with a mental health condition and less than half receive the support they need. Many young people report that they are afraid to ask for help, their concerns are ignored, or that adults tell them it is...
Substance use prevention has been around for a long time. From the Just Say No campaign of the 80s to the OC Sheriff’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program that provides education to school age youth on the dangers of drugs. What we have learned is that...
An essay written by Ethan Furlong, Junior at San Clemente High School and President of the Strength in Numbers club I have a confession to make–this article took me a long time to write. I was afraid of the potential for it to turn out less-than-perfect. This...
On October 1, 2022, the Wellness & Prevention Center (WPC) will host Together4Teens at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, CA. This event is planned by youth and local organizations to bring awareness to the pressures that teens face today and to...
Once again, summer break flew by and here we are again getting our teens back to middle and high school and off to college. I find this a challenging time of year, as we go from easy-going beach days, sleeping in, impromptu meals at varying times of day, to a much...
The past several years have had an impact on most people's mental health causing a surge in demand for mental health services. Young people have been impacted as early symptoms of the diseases of mental health were missed during virtual schooling, social interaction...