Dos Pueblos High School has officially opened a Mental Wellness Center, providing students with vital support and resources throughout the day. Since its opening on February 11, the center has already welcomed over 167 students, marking its immediate success as a place of comfort and care.
The center, designed with cozy chairs, positive affirmations, and various activities, offers students a dedicated space to talk with a coordinator and access additional support. Bill Woodard, the principal of Dos Pueblos, expressed hope that by the spring, 80% of students will have visited the center, solidifying its place within the school culture. He emphasized that the Wellness Center serves as an additional mental health resource and a step toward removing the stigma often associated with seeking help. “We want it to be a prideful thing to get help from the Wellness Center,” Woodard said, acknowledging that this shift will take time but is crucial to student well-being.
Bethany Bodenhamer, the dean of student engagement, shared that for years, students expressed not knowing how to access mental health services. “My vision was to create an actual physical room that they could walk into that helps bridge that gap between their needs and the services that we have,” Bodenhamer said. The Wellness Center is the embodiment of that vision, designed to directly address student needs.
Inside the center, students can meet with one of four therapists provided by the Family Service Agency. Additionally, students have access to 12 free virtual therapy sessions through Daybreak Health. These services are available not only at Dos Pueblos but across all Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) campuses.
Angela Montanez, the Wellness Center coordinator, stressed that the center is intended to be a place where students can seek help both during and after school hours. The center also connects students with community resources for times when they cannot access the Wellness Center. “My main goal is for their well-being and mental health, obviously, but really them learning and accessing and getting education around mental health,” Montanez said.
A key feature of the center is the pantry, located right by the entrance, stocked with snacks, drinks, sunscreen, toothpaste, deodorant, and other essential items. According to Montanez, the pantry has become one of the center’s most popular resources, demonstrating the holistic approach the Wellness Center takes to support students.
The Dos Pueblos High School Foundation fully funds Montanez’s position and the center itself, with over $190,000 in donations from local supporters. This funding enables the Wellness Center to operate for the next two years, with the hope that future donations will continue to sustain and expand its services.
Other schools within the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) are also working on establishing their own Wellness Centers. However, SBUSD Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado shared that the district had been unsuccessful in securing a grant to start wellness centers at all school sites. Despite the success at Dos Pueblos, Dr. Maldonado expressed a desire to expand these services across the district: “We’re really looking for funders and people interested in this area to help us level up all the different wellness centers across our district, and eventually get down to the junior high level as well,” she said.
The district is also focused on enhancing its suicide prevention efforts and improving how mental health resources are provided to students. After the tragic death of Shylah Alexander, a 16-year-old San Marcos High School student, in November 2023, students advocated for suicide prevention signs near the train tracks where the incident occurred. Dr. Maldonado responded to the students’ request by reaching out to State Senator Monique Limon to push for the installation of such signs, demonstrating the district’s commitment to proactive mental health support.
The Wellness Center at Dos Pueblos is just one step in the broader movement toward increasing mental health resources for students, offering hope for future initiatives across the district that will better support the well-being of all students.
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