Mental Health Resources
If you are experiencing a crisis or mental health emergency call 9-1-1 or utilize the crisis response numbers below. DO NOT email or text school personnel for urgent or emergency situations.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline –Dial: 988 or Call 800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line – Text "Hello" to 741-741
ELEMENTARY
To access SVUSD school-based mental wellness services please contact the Principal of your child’s Elementary school.
SECONDARY
To access SVUSD school-based mental wellness services please contact the Administration or Counseling Department of the Intermediate School or High School the student attends.
TEXT-A-TIP
To anonymously report:
- Bullying
- Depression
- Theft
- Threats
Your school's Text-A-Tip number can be found on your student ID card or school website.
SVUSD CRISIS RESPONSE/SUICIDE PREVENTION
SVUSD Crisis Response Team Coordinator:
Michelle O’Neill
949-580-3492
SVUSD Crisis Response Team consists of Administrators, Mental Health and Wellness Counselors, School Counselors, and School Psychologists. The Crisis Response Team Coordinator is the contact for assisting school sites for students expressing suicidal intent. For a detailed list of contact information for the SVUSD Crisis Response Team Members, please contact the Coordinator, Michelle O’Neill.
Hoag Parent Workshop Video
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:
If you have a serious and immediate safety concern regarding a student (yourself or a friend), please call 9-1-1 or the OC Sheriff’s Department at (949) 770-6011. If your concern needs immediate mental health attention, support is also available by contacting one of the hotlines listed below.
- Helplines/Hotlines
- Suicide Prevention
- Counseling Centers
- Caregiver Resources
- Grief Counseling
- LGBTQ+
- Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centers
Helplines/Hotlines
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Description: Suicide prevention and Crisis hotline and services.
Dial: 988
Call (English): 800-273-TALK (8255)
Call (Español): 888-628-9454
TTYY: Dial 711 then 988
Lifeline Chat
Lifeline Chat
Crisis Text Line
Description: Free 24/7 support for people in crisis.
Hotline: Text “Hello” to 741741
Español: Text "AYUDA" to 741741
California Youth Crisis Line
Description: Free 24/7 support for young people 12 to 24 years old.
Hotline: 800-843-5200
NAMI-OC Warm Line
Description: Free confidential telephone service providing emotional support and resources to Orange County residents.
Hotline: 714-991-6412
9 a.m. - 3 a.m. (Mon.- Fri.)
10 a.m. - 3 a.m. (Sat.- Sun.)
10 a.m. - 3 a.m. (Sat.- Sun.)
Teen Line
Teen line is a non-profit, community based organization that provides emotional support to youth. It is their mission to provide peer based education and support before problems become a crisis, using a national hotline, community outreach and online support.
Text: "TEEN" to 839863 between 6:00pm-9:00pm PST
Hotline: (310) 855-HOPE or (800) TLC-TEEN (nationwide toll-free) from 6pm to 10pm PST
Website: Teen Line Online
211
Description: 2-1-1 Orange County runs a comprehensive information and referral system for Orange County, CA. 211OC provides a resource database of health and human services and support, accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online and through our multi-lingual hotline, connecting people quickly and effectively to existing programs and disaster response information.
Hotline: Dial 2-1-1.
Website: 211
Suicide Prevention
Services & Programs: The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources.
Services & Programs: A multilingual 24/7 Crisis Line that answer calls for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, CrisisChat networks, Teen Line and the national Disaster Distress Helpline.
Understanding the issues concerning suicide and mental health is an important way to take part in suicide prevention, help others in crisis, and change the conversation around suicide.
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Counseling Centers
Services & Programs: After School Program Intervention and Resiliency Education (ASPIRE) is an intensive outpatient mental health program that addresses adolescent depression, anxiety and emotional volatility. The program also has a parent component that allows parents to participate in their teen’s treatment process.
Didi Hirsch Orange County, Mental Health Center
Services & Programs: Crisis line, outreach and survivor support services for family members of a person who committed suicide. Outpatient therapy for teens, adults, and families; Bereavement groups; Suicide attempt support groups; Outreach and training.
Services & Programs: Crisis line, outreach and survivor support services for family members of a person who committed suicide. Outpatient therapy for teens, adults, and families; Bereavement groups; Suicide attempt support groups; Outreach and training.
Services & Programs: Telehealth/Virtual family counseling, individual counseling, couples counseling, substance abuse counseling, economic empowerment courses, group classes.
Services & Programs: Youth employment/training services, Wrap around services, PCIT, community outreach, linkage to appropriate community mental health agencies, case management.
Services & Programs: OC Links provides information and linkage to any of the Health Care Agency's Behavioral Health Services, including crisis services, via telephone and chat.
OC Links Behavioral Health Line is available 24/7 at (855) 625-4657.
Services & Programs: Provides a large online portal to private therapists in the local area.
Services & Programs: Short term mental health services, wrap-around services, crisis stabilization services, outpatient clinics, probation services, transitional youth programs, therapeutic behavioral services, intensive case management, foster youth/ adoption services.
Services & Programs: Brief Individual & Family Counseling Services, Family Advocacy, Parent Education, Health Care Access, Youth Classes, WIC, Legal Services.
Services: Virtual counseling program that provides clients 12 years and older with “face to face” online counseling and psychotherapy, services through your computer, smart phone, or tablet. Services in English and Spanish.
Services & Programs: Provides mental health services specializing in ages 12-25. Available in English & Spanish.
Services & Programs: Evaluation, Crisis Intervention, Case Management, Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy, Parenting Classes and Education.
Caregiver Resources
Services and Programs: Stigma Free OC is a county-wide movement which aims to clear the stigma associated with mental illness and addiction. Stigma can make it difficult to see people for who they really are beyond the conditions they are living with. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of these illnesses by creating an environment where people are seen and supported in their efforts to achieve wellness and recovery.
Services and Programs: The Parent Project provides parents with techniques and skills to manage out of control behaviors such as: ¨ Family conflict ¨ Poor school attendance and performance ¨ Running away ¨ Alcohol and drug use ¨ Violent outbursts ¨ Threats of suicide ¨ Gang involvement ¨ Criminal activity. For thirty years the Parent Project has been used by courts, social service agencies, school resource officers, counselors and parenting coaches across our country to help parents address problematic behaviors.
Services and Programs: CHS provides a variety of services to children and families in California and nationwide — working to improve their quality of life by offering vital informational, educational, and resource services, which include Early Learning and Education Programs, our Family Education Program, the Oakland Family Resource Center, the Orange County Neighborhood Resource Network, and additional family resource services.
Services and Programs: BILY provides a parent-to-parent solutions-oriented program and equips parents with the tools needed to regain control of their home, establish structure, and find the strength to develop new, cooperative family relationships. BILY is a free weekly meeting for parents of any age child; most parents attending have children between 11 to 30. The issues that parents are dealing with range from a younger child heading in the wrong direction to an adult child who is not moving forward in life. Many of the children are choosing drugs/alcohol.
Services and Programs: The Triple P - Positive Parenting Program® helps parents and caregivers of children ages 0-12 and teens better understand and support their children's emotional and developmental needs. You can access tolls to communicate better, navigate emotional issues and equip your kids to handle life's challenges. Right now, this world-class program is available FREE in Orange County, and you can do it all online. (The program is also available in Spanish.)
Grief Counseling
Services & Programs: The Dougy Center provides resources for support for children, teens, young adults, and their families that are grieving a death.
Services & Programs: Grief Share is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. Groups meet weekly to help you face these challenges and move toward rebuilding your life.
Services & Programs: Art for Healing offers workshops and classes that address the emotional and social aspects of illness, grief, abuse, and stress through the language of color and painting to provide encouragement and motivation for individuals. While the workshops are therapeutic, facilitators are not therapists. English and Spanish available.
Laguna Hills, 949-367-1902
Pilgrimage Family Therapy Center
Services & Programs: A support group for bereavement, grief, and separation issues. Serving Farsi, Spanish, Vietnamese, English.
Tustin & Laguna Hills.
949-463-5323.
Hospital Grief Groups:
Offers a variety of services designed to meet the unique needs of the bereaved in the community. Their Bereavement Counselors are here to walk along side you during this journey and provide support and education through the following services:
- Pre-Bereavement Counseling
- Grief Support Groups
- Telephone Counseling Sessions
- Office Sessions
Offers support group in a safe and caring atmosphere to help you on your journey to healing.
Meets virtually every Tuesday from 2:30 - 3:30 pm via Zoom.
LGBTQ+
Services & Programs:
The CHOC Gender, Puberty and Sex Development (GPS) Program, led by board-certified, fellowship-trained pediatric endocrinologists, offers comprehensive medical, psychological and support services to children and teens with non-conforming gender expression, genetic variations in the X and Y chromosomes, and those with differences in genital development.
Services & Programs: Individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, HIV and STD testing, medical transition services, legal support clinic, advocacy and information sessions monthly.
Services & Programs: is newly combined counseling program designed to serve individuals of all ages for Orange County residents with a mild to moderate behavioral health condition and limited or no access to care. Additionally, the program also provides counseling services for the hard of hearing community, the Arabic speaking community, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and/or Questioning+ (LGBTIQ+) community and the people important in their lives. Services provided are short-term (3-6 months) at no-cost.
Services & Programs: Uniting the LGBTQI community with friends, families, and allies through its mission of support, advocacy, and education.
Services & Programs: Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGTBQI youth through 24 hour help line and internet chat.
· Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ young people under 25) 1-866-488-7386
· Trevor Text: Text “START” to 678678
· Trans Lifeline (7am-1am) 1-877-565-8860
Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centers
Outpatient & Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Twin Town Treatment Centers
Services & Programs: Provides morning or evening adult sessions, and an evening teen program. Allows patients to continue with home, school and work responsibilities as they apply recovery and new coping skills directly into their daily lives.
Services & Programs: Provides morning or evening adult sessions, and an evening teen program. Allows patients to continue with home, school and work responsibilities as they apply recovery and new coping skills directly into their daily lives.
Medi-Cal and uninsured accepted
24953 Paseo De Valencia, Building B 1B
Laguna Hills, CA 92653-4342
(949) 540-0170
Laguna Hills, CA 92653-4342
(949) 540-0170
Services & Programs: Provides a variety of outpatient therapy and counseling options including private individual, couples or family therapy, and group counseling at a number of locations throughout Orange County, California.
Medi-Cal and uninsured accepted
25401 Cabot Road, Suite #212
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(714) 540-9070
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(714) 540-9070
Narcotic Treatment Program (NTP)
Services & Programs: Provides evidence based narcotic treatment services to any eligible person seeking them.
Medi-Cal accepted
26291 Crown Valley, Suite 200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 334-8288
26291 Crown Valley, Suite 200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 334-8288
Residential Treatment Services
Services & Programs: Provides access to prevention, intervention and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to female youth (ages 12- 17 yrs old) addicted to opioids, as well as other treatment and recovery services for youth and their families.
Medi-Cal and uninsured accepted
20302 Flanagan Road
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679
(949) 534-4715
WELLNESS TOOLKIT
TIPS/STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS & CAREGIVERS
This toolkit provides user-friendly tips and strategies to address issues related to mental wellness.
- Elementary K-6th
- Secondary 7th-12th
- Violence and War Resources
- Race and Equity Resources
- Natural Disaster Resources
- Covid-19 Resources
- Mental Health Apps
Elementary K-6th
Secondary 7th-12th
Anxiety/Stress Management
Depression
Symptoms of Depression in Teens
Grief and Crisis Resources
Tips for Parents to Help with Children and Grief
Cell Phone and Social Media Safety
How Social Media Affects Teens
Parenting Tips
Violence and War Resources
- Another Shooting – An Important Moment to Comfort and Talk With Our Kids
- Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience.
- Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children The American Psychological Association breaks out tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children.
Race and Equity Resources
Natural Disaster Resources
Covid-19 Resources
Tips for Students:
- Becoming Resilient Worksheet
- We're in this Together
- What can I do if I'm Worried?
- First Aid for Feelings (English)
- First Aid for Feelings (Spanish)
Tips for Caregivers:
Mental Health Apps
FREE Mental Health Apps
GENERAL
YouAnd app is designed to build resilience and social emotional intelligence. From feelings and coping skills to caring for mind, body and spirit, you’ll discover how to take care of the whole you. It aims to increase resiliency and provide youth with support and community during social isolation. Students in grades K-12th will receive a 6-lesson curriculum series that aligns with the 5 social-emotional learning competencies. Each lesson is a 10-minute video that will live in the application. The curriculum has been validated and peer-reviewed by team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine. YouAnd is available at no cost for Orange County K-12 students. (Free: iOS and Android)
What’s Up is an amazing free app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and more. Use the positive and negative habit tracker to maintain your good habits, and break those that are counterproductive. You’ll love the “Get Grounded” page, which contains over 100 different questions to pinpoint what you’re feeling, and the “Thinking Patterns” page, which teaches you how to stop negative internal monologues. (Free: iOS and Android)
Calm: Named by Apple as the 2017 iPhone App of the Year, Calm is quickly becoming regarded as one of the best mental health apps available. Calm provides people experiencing stress and anxiety with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music. This app is truly universal; whether you’ve never tried meditation before or regularly practice, you’ll find the perfect program for you. (Free: iOS and Android)
MyLife Meditation by Stop. Breathe. Think: Here are several ways you can practice mindfulness to bring more kindness and compassion into your home during these swirling times! Just like the grown-ups in their lives, your children will likely experience some big emotions during this time. The activities recommended below are ideal for children ages 4–10 and can help address a specific emotion to work through these feelings—together. These activities are available in the For Kids section of the All Ages app, with premium tracks now free for the next 60 days!
Sanvello: A place to feel better: Sanvello premium access is free to everyone during the COVID-19 crisis—no action required. It’s our small way of supporting you during this challenging time. Sanvello helps you understand you. Our thoughts, moods, and behaviors all shape how we feel. Sanvello gives you clinically validated techniques to help you manage your moods and thoughts, so you can understand what works for you to feel better. (Free: iOS and Android)
ANXIETY
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Mind Shift is one of the best mental health apps designed specifically for teens & young adults with anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxious feelings, Mind Shift stresses the importance of changing how you think about anxiety. Think of this app as the cheerleader in your pocket, encouraging you to take charge of your life, ride out intense emotions, and face challenging situations. (Free: iOS and Android)
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM) might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing. Users are prompted to build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit that allows you to track anxious thoughts and behavior over time, and learn 25 different self-help techniques. You can also use SAM’s “Social Cloud” feature to confidentially connect with other users in an online community for additional support. (Free: iOS and Android)
CBT Thought Record Diary: The centerpiece of cognitive-behavioral therapy is changing your emotions by identifying negative and distorted thinking patterns. You can use CBT Thought Record Diary to document negative emotions, analyze flaws in your thinking, and reevaluate your thoughts. This is a great app for gradually changing your approach to anxiety-inducing situations and your thinking patterns for future situations. (Free: iOS and Android)
DEPRESSION
Happify: Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts. (Free: iOS and Android)
MoodTools aims to support people with clinical depression by aiding the path to recovery. Discover helpful videos that can improve your mood and behavior, log and analyze your thoughts using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, develop a suicide safety plan and more with this free app. (Free: iOS and Android)
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
PTSD Coach: Created by the VA’s National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), PTSD Coach offers everything from a self- assessment for PTSD, to opportunities to find support, positive self-talk, and anger management. What’s great about this app is that you can customize tools based on your own individual needs and preferences, and integrate your own contacts, photos, and music. (Free: iOS and Android)
Breathe2Relax: Sometimes you just need to breathe and remind yourself you are okay. Breathe2Relax is made for just that. Created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app is a portable stress management tool that teaches users a skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe2Relax works by decreasing the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ stress response, making it a great option for people suffering from PTSD. (Free: iOS and Android)
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
nOCD was designed with the help of OCD specialists and patients to incorporate two treatments: mindfulness and Exposure Response Prevention Treatment. You can receive immediate, clinically-supported guidance when an OCD episode strikes, take weekly tests to assess the severity of your OCD, and have motivational support along the way. One user calls nOCD “a free therapist in your pocket!” (Free: iOS and Android
EATING DISORDERS
Recovery Record is a great app for anyone recovering from an eating disorder and wanting to develop a more positive body image. Keep a record of the meals you eat and how they make you feel using the app and complete questionnaires that’ll help you track your progress over time. One user calls Recovery Record a “remarkable recovery tool”; “It helps me stick to my meal plan, provides an outlet to vent about my food concerns and helps me stay intact with my body to work with it rather than against.” (Free: iOS and Android)
Rise Up + Recover is a unique app as it not only allows you to track your meals and how you feel when you eat them, but you can also transcribe your progress into a PDF printout. Pull up the Rise + Recover app on your mobile when you feel the urge to binge or skip a meal, and need quick coping strategies. (Free: iOS and Android)
Lifesum: Unlike the other apps featured in this list, Lifesum is a broader resource for all things healthy living. The app allows you to set personal goals, from eating healthier, to building more muscle and getting in more steps each day. You can also enter your own personal data and let Lifesum generate a “Life Score” to get a personalized roadmap to better health. With reminders to drink water and eat regularly throughout the day, Lifesum is a great option for anyone trying to live healthier, but for people with eating disorders, this app can be used to help you redefine how you think about healthy body image. (Free: iOS and Android)
ADDICTION
Quit That!: A completely free app that helps users beat their habits or addictions. Whether you’re looking to stop drinking alcohol, quit smoking, or stop taking drugs, it’s the perfect recovery tool to track and monitor your progress. Track as many vices as you want and find out how many minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years it’s been since you quit. (Free: iOS)
SUICIDE PREVENTION
MY3 is aimed at people who are depressed and suicidal, and trains users to recognize suicide warning signs in others. MY3 asks you to choose three close contacts that you feel comfortable reaching out to when you’re down and keeps you connected to this core network. This best part of this app is that it helps you create your own safety plan asking you to think through and list your own warning signs, coping strategies and support network, so that you can easily act when you recognize your warning signs. (Free: iOS and Android)
