San Luis Obispo, CA — July 31, 2026 — As families across San Luis Obispo County begin completing annual back-to-school paperwork, many will notice something new this year: a request for their child’s health insurance information and consent to bill insurance for school-based behavioral and mental health services. The San Luis Obispo County Office of
For the past two years, school-based counselors, wellness coaches and licensed clinicians across San Luis Obispo County have been building their capacity in evidence-based tier 2 intervention programs to support students who have experienced trauma. Last month, that dedication was recognized at the Practitioners Culminating Breakfast, an event honoring the work of participating practitioners on
Stress is the uninvited guest that never seems to know when to leave. Since April is Stress Awareness Month, we’re sharing tips for coexisting with that guest without losing our cool. Students of all ages are like emotional sponges – they don’t just see our stress, they absorb it. This month, we are providing a
One Cool Earth (OCE) is a SLO County based nonprofit that creates garden based education programs that grow happy, healthy and smart youth. One Cool Earth partners with public schools to maintain outdoor garden classrooms and places Garden Educators at each site to teach one or two days per week. Currently, One Cool Earth is
Cayucos Elementary School District recently gathered parents together for a productive and engaging evening to discuss the upcoming CAASPP testing season. This Parent Partnership Training Event was primarily focused on educating parents on what to expect this year, with a vital emphasis on supporting students’ social-emotional wellbeing, reducing test anxiety, and building confidence and resilience.
This past year, we’ve made important strides in expanding access to student behavioral health services and building the systems needed to sustain them long term. Districts across the county are reaching key milestones in operational readiness, with SLCUSD now actively implementing billing processes and others advancing implementation plans to support future service delivery. At the
Sinsheimer Elementary kicked off the school year on a high note, celebrating a major achievement: receiving Gold recognition from The Social Emotional Learning Alliance of California (SEL4CA). Specifically honored for the area of Schoolwide Practices, this award highlights Sinsheimer’s success in weaving Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into every fact of campus life – from the
In this month’s spotlight, we celebrate a teacher at Los Ranchos, Christine Lintner. By integrating Restorative Practices with the Leader in Me framework, she has cultivated a classroom where emotional intelligence is just as important as academics. Below, she shares how she builds a foundation of kindness and leadership every single day: “In my classroom,
We recently visited San Luis Obispo High School to observe a groundbreaking and impactful approach students are taking to better utilize the school’s Wellness Center. At the heart of SLO High’s new approach is a peer support program led not by adults, but by students themselves. They call themselves Wellness Center Aides, seniors nominated by
