Mental Health Counseling Services
Mental Health As A Priority
RCSD recognizes a whole-child, holistic approach to learning and wellness. Students must feel safe, comfortable, and at ease to be fully engaged in the school experience–socially, emotionally, and academically.
Embracing a trauma-informed approach, RCSD prioritizes counseling services to facilitate positive outcomes for all youth and continues to grow mental health services based on emerging needs.
Proactive initiatives are integrated into daily student life in the Redwood City School District so that students receive not only the care and support they need but also develop age-appropriate coping and wellbeing skills. Families can also find help and support through resource workshops and wellness discussions.
District Services and Partnerships
On-Site Counseling Services
Access to on-site counseling services is imperative for student wellbeing, providing support for students and families who may face barriers to accessing services elsewhere. School sites have counselors available to students who may need additional support for a wide range of mental health services from day-to-day needs to more involved mental health needs or crises.
Students and families may contact their school site directly to connect with a counselor at school.
| Clinician | Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead District Clinician | Ana Paula Garay | agaray@rcsdk8.net |
| Adelante Selby | Vickie Neves | vneves@rcsdk8.net |
| Clifford | Renee Rodriguez | rrodriguez@rcsdk8.net |
| Garfield |
Shirley Salazar Cano & Kathryn Lige |
ssalazarcano@rcsdk8.net, klige@rcsdk8.net |
| Henry Ford | Mary Ann Nakhla | mnakhla@rcsdk8.net |
| Hoover | Heather Springs | hsprings@rcsdk8.net |
| Kennedy | Mariela Lopez | mlopez3@rcsdk8.net |
| MIT | Mark Malacapay | mmalacapay@rcsdk8.net |
| North Star | Kristi Yeh | kyeh@rcsdk8.net |
| Orion | Diane Gutierrez | dgutierrez@rcsdk8.net |
| Roosevelt | Laura Herrera | lherrera@rcsdk8.net |
| Roy Cloud | Julia Robinson | jrobinson1@rcsdk8.net |
| Taft | Leticia Arreola Garcia | larreolagarcia@rcsdk8.net |
Availability of campus counseling services has increased across the District, in part by support from Redwood City Education Foundation and Sequoia Healthcare District.
Stanford Redwood City Sequoia Mental Health Collaborative
RCSD staff and Stanford team members work together to put in place best practices for school sites based on data, research, and emerging needs. Stanford brings its clinical expertise and technical assistance to enhance District efforts such as on-site counseling and curriculum-integrated Social Emotional Learning.
In addition to RCSD school site counselors, schools also have the assistance of a supplemental clinician from Stanford’s team. This Collaborative allows RCSD to provide early interventions and support for both routine and complex mental health needs.
Care Solace
The Care Solace platform is a live 24/7 concierge meant to assist the RCSD community in finding local mental health related programs and counseling services both quickly and confidentially. The web-based platform provides guidance through processes related to insurance, provider availability, wait times and scheduling.
Care Solace is an additional tool available to students, families, and staff during off-school hours and is funded through partnership with the Sequoia Healthcare District. Schools are still able to access school-based counseling for students during school hours.
The Parent Venture
The Parent Venture, an RCSD partner, offers resources in parent and community education that support the wellbeing and safety of students. Families can find wellness talks and other educational resources on a variety of critical topics affecting children and teens, including mental health. Newsletters, videos, and an event calendar can be accessed by visiting The Parent Venture website.