Free Parent Workshop Series: 

Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health 

Sonoma County Office of Education Behavioral Health and Well-Being department will be offering a series of free workshops for parents and caregivers that focus on youth mental health and wellness. The workshops will be offered virtually in both English and Spanish.

Serie de talleres gratuitos sobre salud mental para padres y cuidadores. El Departamento de Salud Mental y Bienestar de La Oficina del Condado de Sonoma estará ofreciendo una serie de tres talleres gratuitos sobre la salud mental para padres y cuidadores. Los talleres se ofrecerán virtualmente por zoom, en inglés y español, de 5-6pm.

Register here.   |   See flyer here.

Workshop #1: Why Your Relationship Matters 
Thursday, April 25, 5-6pm / Jueves, abril 25, 2024, 5-6pm

• Participants will learn how connection with a caring adult impacts youth mental health and strategies to strength positive relationships.
• Los participantes aprenderán sobre cómo la conexión positiva entre adolescentes y al menos un adulto comprensivo puede impactar la salud mental del joven, así como estrategias que un adulto puede usar para fortalecer estas relaciones.

Workshop #2: Understanding and Supporting Youth Depression 
Thursday, May 23, 5-6pm / Jueves, mayo 23, 2024, 5-6pm

• Participants will learn to identify signs of depression in youth, what caring adults can do to help, and local resources.
• Los participantes aprenderán a identificar síntomas y señales de depresión en jóvenes y niños, y lo que un adulto puede hacer para ayudar. También ofreceremos información sobre recursos locales.

Workshop #3: Understanding and Supporting Youth Anxiety 
Thursday, August 8, 5-6pm / Jueves, agosto 8, 2024, 5-6pm

• Participants will learn to identify signs of anxiety in youth, what caring adults can do to help, strategies to support school attendance, and local resources.
• Los participantes aprenderán a identificar síntomas y señales de ansiedad en jóvenes y niños, lo que puede hacer un adulto para ayudar, estrategias específicas para apoyar a un joven en el regreso a la escuela, así como información sobre recursos locales.

Two New Free Resources!

As part of the State’s CalHOPE program, with funding from the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI),

California has launched (as of January 2024):

(2) two free, web & app-based platforms to give youth and their caregivers access to critical behavioral health support.

kids ages 0-12		teens and young adults ages 13-25
Mental health coaching and resources for parents with kids ages 0-12		Mental health coaching and resources for teens and young adults ages 13-25
BrightLife Kids is available for download on IOS devices in the Apple App Store and will be available for Android devices in mid-2024; BrightLife Kids can also be accessed online at CalHOPE.		Soluna is available for both IOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Learn More About BrightLife		Learn More About Soluna

What you need to know

• The Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platform provides free resources for all California families, regardless of income, health insurance, or immigration status.
• Each mobile app will offer coaching services in English and Spanish, as well as telephone-based coaching in all Medi-Cal threshold languages.
• The new easy-to-use mobile apps are geared toward two groups: kids 0-12 years old & teans and young adults ages 13-25. 

Why this is important

• These apps provide easy, fast access to behavioral health coaching and other resources at no cost to children, teens, young adults, and their families. 

For more information

• For more information about these resources, see the CalHOPE website.  
• For general SMAA questions, e-mail DHCS at SMAA@dhcs.ca.gov.