At the beginning of the year, RJUHSD began implementing Wellness Centers at schools throughout the district, including Roseville High School. The Wellness Center was brought to Roseville as a way to assist students with the rise of feelings of chronic sadness and hopelessness.

Eight months later, the Wellness Center has become established and begun defining its role in helping the students at Roseville.

Although students who were identified the previous year by teachers and administrators as needing help started attending the Wellness Center when it first opened in August, those working at the Wellness Center worried about those students who went under the radar. Wellness and Prevention Coordinator Cristina Dobon-Claveau feels that there needs to be a reliable system to find students who go under the radar.

“Counselors, admin, psychologists and Wellness staff meet on a weekly basis to discuss students with complex needs,” Dobon-Claveau said. “We talk as a team to discuss services at school and possibly community resources that the student and family may benefit from. We are working on strengthening this process to be data driven – to be able to identify those students who have needs who are not reaching out for help.”

With furniture finally placed, students are now able to enter the Wellness Center either for a break or an individual appointment. “Taking a Break” is available for any student who may feel overwhelmed in a class and needs to step out for 30 minutes or so. Using a sign in system, the Wellness staff is able to figure out who is taking a break and how often they are using it.
Dobon-Claveau feels that this system is an essential step when it comes to assisting students.

“We know that students need breaks. It’s a great way within an allotted amount of time to reset in a safe space, and get back to class,” Dobon-Claveau said. “We strive to find a balance between having a warm and welcoming space for student who need the breaks, but also monitor those who use it to avoid certain school tasks.”

For Dobon-Claveau, the most important thing when it comes to helping students is making sure it actually leads to long-term improvement over time. She feels that it will become more obvious in what aspects the student has changed

“We have seen personal growth in many of the students that we work with. The therapists do a pre and post test called the Behavioral Emotional Rating Scale when students start and finish their wellness intervention,” Dobon-Claveau said. “It has been really rewarding for students and therapists to see the growth the students have made in their time with Wellness staff. But success in therapy is very subjective so it may not be as clear cut as having an impact with grades. This is a process that can take a while to see the more objective growth.”

Although she feels that the Wellness Center has been incredibly successful in helping students, Dobon-Claveau feels that working with the Peer Helping program can help students even more.
“Mrs. Erb and her Peer Helping program are truly a district gem. No other school in the district, or in the county, has a more robust and successful peer support program,” Dobon-Claveau said. “We rely on her program to provide that peer support and connection on campus that adults cannot provide because even research says peer support is most successful.”