Wellness Center

Our Wellness Center offers students a mental health one-stop-shop where they have access to counseling, clinical therapy, community resource referrals and more. Our professionals provide a wide variety of services and programs to address overcoming life’s obstacles. All students are encouraged to utilize the Wellness Centers.

How to Make an Appointment

Wellness Center location: Room 25
Stop by to schedule an appointment
Speak to your Academic Counselor to request services

Lounge Area

Wellness Stations

Conference Table

Mindfulness Activities

Cozy Atmosphere

Wellness Stations

The following are self serve stations. Students can walk in and experience immediate benefits.

Inhale & Exhale Check-In/Out (Mandatory)

Complete your survey at the beginning and end of each visit. Give your survey to the Wellness Coordinator before you leave.

Art Expression

Creativity and happiness go along together because exposure to arts helps with self-expression. This brings mental and physical wellness, and it helps with focus as well.

Affirmations

Speak kindly to yourself. Create an affirmation to repeat daily.

Aromatherapy

Breathe deeply and find a scent that helps you feel calm and relaxed. Masks are mandatory at all times.

Mindfulness

Feeling anxious, out of control, or down? Try a Mindful Module including Calm.com guided meditations to tame your mind.

Bracelet Creation

When creating a bracelet for someone, confidence is developed by the hopes the one receiving the bracelet will like it. This improves self-esteem and promotes self-expression.

Sand Tray / Kinetic Sand

Feeling out of control? Ground yourself in a sand tray with slow, smooth movement.

Waterfall Corner

Enjoy waterfall water soothing sounds that promote and foster calmness and relaxation. Studies show the sounds increase blood flow to the brain, leading to improved mood and overall sense of calm.

Gratitude Cards

Regularly practicing gratitude improves positive emotions such as joy, happiness, calmness, and hopefulness. Be kind to yourself and practice gratitude today.

Thought Reframes

Negative thoughts clouding your focus? Try using the replacement handouts to develop helpful thought patterns.

Sensory Toys

Sensory toys are available to help ease any feelings of anxiousness.

Social Emotional Resources

“When you breathe, you succeed.”

Rainbow Breathing

Roller Coaster Breathing

Star Breathing

Wellness Resources

For Students

For Parents

Virtual Calming Rooms

Our Goals

Wellness Center services will help students find support for physical, mental, emotional and social concerns.

Our mission is to:

Provide easily accessible resources for students and their families
Proactively teach our students how to overcome mental health challenges
Listen and provide guidance
Reassure students that it is all right to ask for help

Safe and Welcoming

Furnished with cozy bean bag chairs and couches and decorated with pleasing artwork, the Wellness Center provides a comfortable setting for students to stop in during their breaks. Here you have space to ask questions, receive support or take a moment to decompress.

Our Wellness Center is equipped with a conference table to hold group meetings and private offices for one-on-one meetings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mental Health Support

What help do we offer students who need Mental Health Support?

DUSD partners with three major agencies in the Downey community: Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JCFS), Pacific Clinics, and Community Family Guidance. Beyond these three agencies, there are many other resources we refer our students to and we are not limited to this list. There are also counseling groups that students can become a part of that are focused on certain topics. If you have any questions about these groups, please ask your counselor.

How many students have access to these agencies?

When counselors are deciding which agency to refer students to, it is largely determined by insurance status, family and student needs, capacity at each agency, etc. JFCS is the only agency that has a definite and limited number of spaces because they are contracted by the district for that specific number of spaces. The other agencies are community-based organizations that take several types of funding sources which means that their capacity is determined by their agency—we will find you an agency that is right for you!

Are these services confidential for students?

Yes. What you discuss with your counselor or service providers is completely confidential. Remember that all school employees and health care professionals are mandated reporters for child abuse; meaning, if those items are discussed, action will need to be taken. Ask your counselor directly if you have more questions about confidentiality.

Do I have to have parental consent to receive services?

In order to receive outside agency mental health services, we will need parental consent—don’t hate us, it’s the law! We know that conversation sounds very scary—but we will walk you through it every step of the way. If you want to call someone directly, you can call the Care Solace Hotline: (888) 515-0595. Care Solace acts as your advocate to find you the help you need.

Do we have any school psychologists on campus at Stauffer Middle School?

Our school psychologist is here all week to help our students.

Additional Mental Health Resources

Care Solace (888) 515-0595
Trevor Lifeline LGBTQ (866) 488-7386
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800) 273-TALK (8255) or text “START” to 741741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org
California Youth Crisis Line Open 24/7 (800) 843-5200
Suicide Prevention Center (800) 727-4747
Department of Mental Health (800) 854-7771
Teen Line for teen to teen help: teenlineonline.org or text “TEEN” to 839863
Care Solace 24/7 Support, (888) 515-0595
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Psychiatric Mobile Response Team (PMRT) ACCESS Line (800) 854-7771

“This is a place where introverts can become extraverts.”

– Student Testimonial

Success in academics cannot fully occur without a healthy mind. Let’s tackle wellness together. Let’s empower classmates, family members and the community to make wellness a priority…because you deserve the best.