The holiday season can be hectic, challenging, and sometimes not the picture perfect celebrations we envision. As we still face the challenges of a long pandemic and an uncertain economy, it can seem a little less cheerful. However, taking time to pause and celebrate...
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...
For the first time since the closures in 2020, San Clemente High School’s Wellness & Prevention Coalition (WPC) had the opportunity to attend CADCA’s National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, Maryland. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control Drug...
September is suicide prevention awareness month, yet suicide is a difficult subject to talk about. In recent years, headlines have reported celebrities' deaths by suicide bringing this topic to the forefront. When we hear that someone has died by suicide, whether it...
You might notice that there are a lot of green ribbons during the month of May. May was designated Mental Health Awareness Month by Mental Health America in 1949, to bring attention to the 18.1% of Americans who experience the diseases of mental health. The majority...
Last month, I wrote about a few of the outstanding youth leaders in South Orange County. While profiling these youth, I took time to reflect on the qualities these youth have that help them follow their passions and make a difference in their communities. And even...
The Wellness & Prevention Center believes that empowering youth is key to successful prevention efforts and building healthy communities. In March, we honor the young people who choose to make a difference in the lives of their peers and community. From campus...
Stress is defined as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances”, and during a global pandemic, to say we are all under some amount of stress would likely be an understatement. This is no less true for the...
This will be a year that we want to forget, but unfortunately the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic will be with us for many years to come. A large portion of our population has suffered disproportionately from this crisis, and I applaud those who have found ways...