Annc: Coming up on Inside California Education... Erin: Exhale press back.

Anna: What educators are doing to improve the mental health of their students during the pandemic.... Erin: imagine you are a lighting bolt, you are so powerful.

Annc: Meet a yoga teacher at an Elk Grove school who is keeping her students physically... and mentally fit through remote learning... Hailey: I have high levels of stress and anxiety, and yoga has been helping a lot with that.

Annc: Explore a new online suicide prevention effort helping school districts and their students all over California.... Jarrod Hindman: We really teach people how to listen, and how to engage in hard conversations.

Annc: Discover how a San Diego teacher created an entire education plan around mental health, and strengthened bonds with his students... Andres Perez: There are moments as a teacher where I have to say, you know what, we're going to do a little bit less work this week.

And students might write a little bit less, they might read a little bit less, but there's going to be more connection between us.

Annc: And visit a school district in Los Angeles County that, pre-COVID, had a mental health professional on every one of the district'’s 29 campuses.

Priscilla Rodriguez: They know us by name, that yell at us down the hall.

They know that we greet them every day and that we know them.

And they know how to ask for help.

Annc: It'’s all next on Inside California Education Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

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Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

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Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

♪♪ Erin Reed: Exhale, hands to heart'’s center.

Stay here, just for a moment, to set your intention for class.

Christina: Erin Reed began teaching yoga at an Elk Grove high school a few years ago.

When the pandemic hit, she knew it was more important than ever to figure out a way to continue the classes.

Erin: You are stronger than you think you are, stay in it and breathe use your breath to keep you settled and focused.

Christina: Adapting her classes to Zoom was a new challenge that she says made her feel like a first-year teacher all over again.

But both Erin and her students have risen to the challenge... and say they'’re grateful for the physical - and mental - outlet.

Erin: There's two goals in this class.

One is to leave feeling better than you came in.

And two is to be successful.

So I really try to make it about like them having a space to really just feel good about themselves.

And to work through any problems that they have.

Christina: The classes are a mix of power yoga, stretching, sleep techniques, mindfulness and meditation.

Erin: Just coming into a slight smile.

Just again as a signal to your body that everything is okay.

Christina: It'’s during this meditation part of the class that Erin Reed encourages her students to take time for their mental health.

Erin: And that's something I talk about a lot in class, which is just like, we're all going through different things.

Everybody's having a different experience, and maybe a hardship.

And so also letting them know, like you're not alone.

Christina: Shivnel says he learned a motto in yoga class that hit home...everything is temporary, even this pandemic.

Shivnel: I've just been feeling a lot of anxiety with like Coronavirus and like the situation we are in right now, So I think that being able to, um, attend something like yoga, where you see people, maybe not in real life, but on Zoom, it really helps you have that social interaction that you would not have because of the pandemic.

And also I really like her, um, the meditation aspects of her class, it really helps me stay grounded and just keep myself free from anxiety as much as I can.

Christina: Other students say they'’re relieved to have an opportunity to step away from their screens for 55 minutes every day.

They'’re allowed to keep their cameras off during the exercise, but reassure their teacher... .they are reaping the benefits.

Hailey: The poses that I learned how to do, I was actually surprised at how flexible I really am.

Cause I honestly never knew.

like when we're doing our sun salutations or like our warrior poses, I'm like, whoa, I can do that.

And it just surprises me what I can do.

Diamond: In class, like being able to move my body and like breathe and meditate like helps a lot.

And like, I'm always thinking about like all this stress and like things that I have to do.

Miss Reed teaches us how to like sit with our thoughts, not like, um, just focus on running away from our problems.

Like it's better to face them and sit with them.

Christina: Yoga and meditation are just a few of the ways schools in California are addressing the mental health challenges faced by students -- and teachers alike.

Another focus of schools right now: suicide prevention.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24.

Noting this, the California Legislature passed a new law in 2019 that provides funds for suicide prevention training for staff and students.

The online training is provided by LivingWorks, and made free to districts throughout California through a partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education.

It'’s a 90-minute online training, geared to staff and students in middle and high school.

Heather: Suicide is when pain overrides hope.

So in all that we do with our young people and our educators, is really we need to instill hope in everything we do with youth.

Everything we talk about needs to have elements of hope and positivity.

Christina: Heather Nemour is part of the team leading the suicide prevention effort, and says it comes at a crucial time.

Heather: Pre-COVID, mental health was one of the biggest challenges that we were seeing among our students.

And so, uh, anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, we are, we're all very, uh, very much on the radar for, um, being a genuine concern for students being able to come to school and learn.

Now that we're in COVID, one of the silver linings is that mental health has really risen to the top for all schools.

Christina: This clip from the online suicide prevention training demonstrates what it might look like if you have a student who is fidgety, unable to concentrate, and disengaging from regular activities - all signs he might be troubled.

Student: Hey.

Teacher: What'’s up?

You ok?

Student: Yeah, no.

I'’m not feeling very good, I think I should go home.

Teacher: Another headache?

You had one last week.

Student: I just can'’t concentrate.

I really appreciate everything you'’ve done with me.

You'’ve been really patient.

Most people aren'’t.

They get really frustrated and they give up.

Anyway, I should go.

Bye.

Christina: The training helps people react appropriately when they suspect someone might be suicidal.

Jarrod: What you learn in LivingWorks Start is if you're worried about suicide, you have to ask specifically about suicide.

And so that's what we encourage teachers to do as well.

Other warning signs that are a little bit, uh, more difficult perhaps to interpret are things like, significant changes in behavior.

For students going from an A student to a C or a D student.

Or a really gregarious, outgoing student to a quiet isolated student.

Or um, a non-risk taking student who all of a sudden is taking all kinds of risks.

Christina: He also identified four groups as being at higher risk..... including students who have lost a loved one to suicide.... students with disabilities, mental health or substance abuse disorders..... ....those experiencing homelessness or in foster care..... And young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning.

But even for those outside those groups -- there'’s so much added pressure right now.

Heather: It's creating a lot of isolation, disconnection from others, um, a disruption in their routines that they had.

And then there are those students that are in home environments that are not fully positive or fully supportive.

And so now they are suddenly in homes, 24/7, where they might be experiencing domestic violence or, um, uh, other kinds of challenges.

Christina: The suicide prevention training also provides tools for students, who may notice warning signs on social media, or through texting.

Text conversation: U wanna game?

Zen and I are on and need a third.

We'’re getting killed.

Don'’t really feel like it.

Just wanted to say bye.

Going offline for a bit?

Yeah I guess.

Thank you.

For what?

You were a good friend.

Zen too.

Were?

Why the past tense?

Christina: Students say these examples are eye opening.

Life is an 11th grader in Chula Vista who took the training.

Life: It was really informative because it gave many different scenarios and through videos, through text messages, real life, and really realistic situations.

So I think that going through those live simulations and being able to learn from those were really helpful, and it really helped me grow.

Christina: Life'’s training was part of a class taught by humanities teacher, Andres Perez.

He asked the students at the start of 2020 school year what topic they most wanted to focus on - and their answer: Mental Health.

Andres: Over and over again, students were telling me that they were more anxious than usual feeling, more depressed than usual.

I had students asking to check in, which as a teacher is always something you're excited to hear about.

Um, but of course when it's happening so much more often than usual, I knew right away something was up.

Uh, and I thought that was just another sign that students just wanted someone to connect with.

Christina: In response, he designed a six-week unit focused on mental health.

It concluded with students creating projects that could be shared in the community.

For her final project, Life held a socially distant event at a park, with the goal of directing attention to the mental health needs of people of color.

Life: It was a guided meditation and it was around Black Lives Matter and black brain health, the one that we played, and then we also had the singers perform and we sold art from local artists on the community.

And all of the proceeds went to the Black Mental Health Alliance.

I come from a very diverse background with my family being black, white, Hispanic, all of that kind of stuff.

So I'm seeing it directly in my own community, it really makes me realize that there needs to be a change and there needs to be more improvements in that field.

Christina: Other students class created projects like awareness posters with QR codes that provided people with information on how to get help... ....and short films, like this one created by 11th grader, Carlos.

Carlos: Say for example you see a dark shadowy figure in your house at night.

♪♪ When our brains go into a state of panic, the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls emotions, wants us to get out of harm'’s way at all costs.

Christina: Carlos says the goal of his film is to educate others about anxiety.

Carlos: Being in a constant state of anxiety because of COVID-19 and not knowing what's going to happen, how this is going to look like in a year or two or not, just not feeling in control is something that is very bad for us because being in a state of anxiety for multiple months drains you and leaves you depressed because anxiety when it comes, it's there to give you a burst of energy and go into a fight or flight response, but being in a state of anxiety for several months, well, it kind of just drains all of your energy.

So my aim for my short film was to kind of give one of the tactics that I learned about that I researched and that really helped me, which was to find small things that we are in control of and to just focus on those things.

Christina: Experts say.....Carlos'’s message is exactly right...and can offer tips to everyone on how to best manage stress.

Heather: We're in such uncertain times, what is helpful to try to identify what are the things that I can control.

Because so much is out of our control right now.

And so things that you can control, we tell them are, you know, what you eat every day.

Are you, um, taking frequent breaks?

Are you moving your body?

Are you practicing self care?

And you know, do you have a web of support?

Do you have other people you can reach out to when you are feeling upset or stress stressed?

Pretty much 97% of the time, you can say '‘right now, right here everything is okay.

'’ Christina: Andres Perez says he'’s proud of the work his students put into their projects, but he remains concerned about the mental health impacts of remote learning amid the pandemic.

Andres: I would say that for students right now, so many are not turning in work because they are stressed.

Because they are focused on taking care of their family, uh, because, uh, they just don't know how to - One, they're trying to exist during a pandemic.

Two, they're trying to compartmentalize all these new emotions they'd never experienced before.

Three, they're just a teenager.

And they're dealing with those new emotions.

And having school as a priority in that, you know, where does it go?

It definitely doesn't go first.

I understand that.

I tell my students, there are things that are so much more important than your schoolwork.

At the same time, I want to make sure that they'’re not missing out on an opportunity to learn and to grow, so that they can go on to college.

They can go on to fulfill their dreams for themselves and their family.

So it is affecting their schoolwork and that's something that is concerning for me, but I think that's why mental health is such a great unit to start the year with, because it's now a conversation that we broached and that now we can always go back to.

Anytime they're not getting their work turned in.

My first question to them is always, '‘have you been practicing your coping strategy?

Have you been, uh, making sure to play the guitar?

Have you been exercising like is a goal of yours?

Have you been connecting with friends and family?

'’ Cause if you're not doing that, it's going to be a lot harder to get those other things completed.

Christina: Coping strategies are key to good mental health.

For 11th grader Devri, she learned about journaling as a coping strategy in Mr. Perez'’s class.

Devri: And it's just a small activity that I like to do and write down how my day went.

How I'm feeling and just events that happened in the day.

And it was a really good stress reliever for me.

It just like gave me some time to slow down and just write down whatever was on my mind.

And it was just super beneficial for me.

And ever since I started doing that, I've just been feeling better about myself.

Christina: Did they give you other strategies besides journaling, other ideas that you can do to kind of, um, kind of center yourself?

Devri: Yeah, so it's different for every person, but some ideas are like dancing, um, like physical exercise.

You can also do mindfulness and kind of just doing what you enjoy doing and what makes you feel relaxed.

So like going outside, taking a walk, spending time with your pets, something that'll make you relaxed and, um, help you cope with your emotions.

Heather: We always say we haven't done our job until people, you know, can talk about mental health.

And it's just as socially accepted as it is talking about physical health.

And if somebody is sick, if somebody has cancer, we go help them.

We bring them food, we call and check on them.

But if somebody has a mental health challenge, you know, we "“other them.

"” Like, oh, it's those other people, not us.

But we all have mental health challenges.

We all have mental health.

Andres: My students have just surprised me over and over again with how willing they are to share their own struggles.

Whether they're currently in therapy, whether they're currently, having feeling anxious or, uh, feeling depressed.

So I hope more teachers and more students are willing to broach this topic that sometimes, uh, we may feel a little bit, um, awkward, uh, broaching into.

But, but I promise that so many students are really ready and willing and excited to talk about this because it's on their mind and it's something that they want to be discussing.

Christina: Even after schools return to full, in-person instruction, mental health challenges will remain.

We visited one school, just before the pandemic hit, that was taking aggressive steps to address their students'’ needs.

Again, this was recorded pre-Covid, so you won'’t see masks or social distancing.

♪♪ Miss Ellie: So.

Welcome to the group.

How are you guys doing today?

Students: Good.

Miss Ellie: You guys are good.

Christina: This is Elizabeth Cruz.

But to all the students here at Ross Middle School, she'’s known as Miss Ellie.

Miss Ellie: So then today we'’re going into more of, what do we do with those anxious thoughts?

So one of the strategies that we use is mindfulness.

Christina: She'’s not a teacher, or an administrator.

She'’s someone these kids know they can turn to when they'’re feeling anxious, or maybe just want to talk.

Today, she'’s leading this small group through a meditation exercise.

Meditation recording: Just feeling the weight of the body pressing down, and noticing how the body feels right now, if there is a sense of stillness or restlessness in the body.

Christina: Miss Ellie can also be found in classrooms throughout the school, making presentations to students.

Or in her office, for one-on-one meetings.

It'’s all part of her job as the school'’s full-time mental health professional.

Elizabeth: The majority of the time is, is doing individual or group work with the students.

Um, so I do a get a lot of referrals from the admin team.

A lot of the times though, I do have self-referrals too, just because the kids, you know, know me, so like have known me because I'm out there or because their friends know me.

Um, and they request to just see me directly.

Priscilla: She makes herself very visible at lunch and at snack and during passing periods, so they know who she is.

So let's say a kiddo is, as student is in crisis, and the crisis can vary.

It can be something as simple as, I had a tough morning with my mom, because I was in a hurry for school and she's kind of pushing me along and I'm a little shaken and I just need a minute.

Those are, those are typical middle school things.

But the reason we connect with our kids, and the reason we shake all our kids' hands when they walk through the gate every day, is that's when we catch the big things.

Hi Kevin, How are you?

Christina: Those '‘big things'’ are usually anxiety...depression... or trauma.

The things Miss Ellie says she sees the most.

Ross Middle School is part of ABC Unified School District in Los Angeles County.

The district was seeing an increasing number of students struggle with mental health issues.

So it hired mental health professionals for every one of its 29 campuses.

Kendall: The statistics say that between the ages of zero to 18, one in four children will experience a mental health condition or social emotional concern.

Um, and you're talking about stuff like, you know, parents going through a divorce, or the death of a loved one.

That's not necessarily going to be a mental health condition, but still that student might need some support to make it through those difficult times.

Priscilla: We always say that nothing matters in schools more than being safe and feeling safe.

And there is that physical safety.

But there's also that mental health safety.

That my needs of whatever I might being going through or I'’m going through are being addressed and being heard.

Christina: '‘Being heard'’ is especially important to these middle schoolers....who experts say are becoming more independent from their parents, while also navigating peer relationships.

Aaron: So Miss Ellie.

Um, so whenever I go to her, I find a safe place where I can like, say my thoughts out loud and where like I can explain my anxiety towards her and everything.

It's like a safe house for your thoughts and how you feel inside.

Christina: Aaron says he especially likes these small group activities.

Sometimes they'’ll talk about things happening in their lives.

Other times they may play a game.

He says it helps let go of his thoughts, rather than keeping them inside all day.

Teachers and staff at the school have also noticed a difference since Miss Ellie joined the campus.

Cortney: It's just, um, nice to know that I can, I have someone to call to help me.

Because when we're working with 30 students in a classroom, we want to do our best and we want to be able to have that one-on-one connection with students, but it's just not always possible.

And, and we definitely see the impact in our classroom.

Because when a student is in our class and can focus on the learning, of course they're going to do better.

Albert: You have been working on your behavior.

You have been doing a great job in class, we're going to work on this... Christina: Albert Contreras has worked for ABC Unified for more than 20 years, keeping students safe on campus.

Albert: I've seen a lot of changes in, in campuses, a couple of campuses I've worked, and I'm so excited that we do have wellness coordinators here.

I think it helps tremendously.

Uh, now we have the profession here that we could send some of our kids that are in need.

Priscilla: One of the most powerful things for me of having a mental health expert on our campus, it's not my skillset.

Um, there are some basic things I can do, right?

I can sit with a young lady or a student who's upset and I can do some basic triage, so to speak.

Um, but if that issue starts to get a little more serious, my skillset starts to diminish, right?

That's not where my skillset is.

And so we know we as an admin team, because we meet so often and Ellie is part of that conversation with us, we know when it's time to bring her in.

Miss Ellie: So like having a more expanded vocabulary allows you to identify the root of the problem, what feeling is it.

Christina: Miss Ellie says, initially, she didn'’t know how middle schoolers would respond to her.

She was worried they may even avoid her because of the stigma that sometimes comes with mental health.

Elizabeth: That was what I was expecting at the beginning, that maybe they weren't be, they wouldn't be as trusting or as responsive because they felt like maybe they didn't need the services.

But, um, I've seen the complete opposite where kids, they see me as a resource that they can really reach out to whenever they need to.

Kendall: Resilience is knowing that at one time in your life, one person really cared.

You really mattered to one person.

Um, and when Miss Ellie is giving you 45 minutes of your focused, individual attention and showing you how much she cares, um, you know, that's really empowering for a student.

Maybe 20 years from now, they might not remember Miss Ellie's name, but they'll remember her face.

And they'll remember how comfortable they felt, and their ability to express themselves.

(Applause) That'’s it for this special edition of Inside California Education.

For more information on the program log on to our website insidecaled.org, there you'’ll also find stories from our past seasons and ways to connect with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'’ll see you next time on Inside California Education.

♪♪ ♪♪ Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

We're focused on our mission to provide supplemental essential funds to public schools, kinder through college, helping to keep teachers on staff or pay for new school computers, band equipment, and other instructional materials and services.

Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

Music, to all of our ears, California lottery, helping schools and communities across California.

The Stewart foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education ♪♪