CCCOE Health & Wellness May 2024 Newsletter

MAY 2024

The Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) honors May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

From our Wellness In Schools Program (WISP) colleagues, here are some ways to share information and resources within your school during the month:

Host a Wellness Fair: Hosting a Wellness Fair is a fantastic way to promote mental well-being, reduce stigma, and provide valuable community resources.
Host a Q&A with a Mental Health Professional: Invite students and parents to write anonymous questions about mental health conditions and self-care.
Lime Green Spirit Day: Lime green is the official awareness color for mental health. Coordinate a day where students and staff wear lime green to celebrate and honor mental health awareness.

Related Resources:

Visit our Website

2024 CourAGE Media Contest Winners

On Thursday, April 18, CourAGE Youth Health Coalition members recognized the winners of their 2024 Media Contest.

This year's theme was "Under (peer) Pressure." Many participants chose to highlight the fact that most young people do not use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, how young people are positive influences on others, and how to respond to pressure in a healthy way.

Congratulations to all the winners! View all winning entries.

Middle School Art

1st Brayden, Stone Valley Middle School

2nd Alicia, Foothill Middle School

3rd Medha, Windemere Ranch Middle School

Middle School Video

1st Jacob, Lennon, Marcus, Pleasant Hill Middle School

2nd Christine Park Middle School

3rd DeJean Middle School

High School Art

1st Somin, Monte Vista High School

2nd Gianna, Northgate High School

3rd Joanna, Dougherty Valley High School

High School Video

1st Isha, Keria, Lauren, Aaron, Dougherty Valley High School

2nd Sean, Osvaldo, Sean, Madison, Curtis, Yonatan, and Zac, San Ramon Valley High School

3rd Jason, Luukas, Dougherty Valley High School

1st Place-High School Art

Somin Monte Vista

High School

In addition to announcing the winners, CourAGE members presented information on tobacco, cannabis, prescription drugs, and alcohol.

CourAGE Now Accepting New Member Applications!

The CourAGE Youth Health Coalition is accepting applications for new members!

Contra Costa public and charter school students who will be in grades 8-12 during the 2024-25 school year are eligible to apply.

What CourAGE members have to say:

"I absolutely love the people that are here. I grew really close with them and I know that I can share anything with them without being judged."

"I like our teamwork and how everything is a collaborative effort."

"I appreciate that all the advocates are as passionate as I am about solving these issues."

CourAGE Application Flyer

The deadline is Friday, May 17, 2024.

Parent & Family Corner

Upcoming Webinar Event: Addiction & Teens | Monday, May 20 | 6:00 PM

Please join us for our final webinar of the school year!

On Monday, May 20 at 6:00 PM, join a panel of local experts, including a family physician, parent navigator, and mental health clinician, as they discuss:

how addiction/substance use disorder impacts teens,
risks and warning signs,
how to support young people struggling with use,
and resources available.

The event will be held in English with simultaneous Spanish translation and closed captioning in additional languages.

There is no cost to attend and registration is not required.

Join the Webinar

Passcode: 373661

Or One tap mobile:

+16694449171,,94547676428#,,,,*373661# US

Substance Use, Mental Health, & Teens: A Guide for Parents & Other Caring Adults

This guide includes local data on substance use among adolescents. The guide spotlights alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and prescription drugs. It also provides information about adolescent brain development, mental health, and tips for supporting young people.

The guide is available to view and download in an English and Spanish format on our parent guide webpage and our team is developing additional resources.

"Let's Talk Tobacco" Conversation Cards

This is a resource for parents and other adults to assist in initiating and inspiring discussions about tobacco with young people. The deck contains 35 open-ended questions, resources, and tips for productive conversations. To View the full deck (PDF) or click the image to play for the interactive video.

To receive a free "Let's Talk Tobacco" conversation starter card deck by mail, complete the request form.