Rebound Kern County: BCSD mental health resources in distance learning

For many students, the school can be a safe haven.

The Bakersfield City School District knows this and that's why they have put an emphasis on making sure mental health and emotional learning services are still available through distance learning.

FRUSTRATED & HELPLESS IN A TIMEOF EXTREME VULNERABILITY.SO, 23ABC IS DEDICATED TOHELPING INDIVIDUALS ANDBUSINESSES REBOUND.23ABC'S DANIELA GARRIDO HASRESOURCES FOR STUDENTS ANDPARENTS AS THEY RETURN TOSCHOOL..

AT A DISTANCE.GOODMORNINGFOR MANY STUDENTS, SCHOOL CAN BEA SAFE HAVEN.THE BCSD KNOWS THIS AND THATSWHY THEY HAVE PUT AN EMPHASIS ONMAKING SURE MENTAL HEALTH ANDEMOTIONAL LEARNINGSERVICES ARE STILL AVAILABLETHROUGH DISTANCELEARNING.THIS WEEK, THE BAKERSFIELD CITYSCHOOL DISTRICT WAS ONE OF MANYSCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DECIDE TOSTART THE FALLSEMESTER THROUGH DISTANCELEARNING.

DR. TIM FULENWIDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BCSDINSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT:"FROM THE BEGINNING OF THISPANDEMIC OUR DISTRICT HASREITERATED TO THE ENTIREORGANIZATION ABOUT HOW IMPORTANTMENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIALEMOTIONAL LEARNING IS TO OURSTUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES"23ABC SPOKE WITH A BCSD SCHOOLSOCIAL WORKER ON THE PLANS THEYHAVE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTHDURING THIS UNCERTAIN TIME.CARLA GARCIA/BCSD SOCIAL WORKER:"ANXIETY COMES FROM THE WORRY OFTHE FUTURE AND SINCE THINGS ARESO UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW WEANTICIPATE THAT ANXIETY WILL BEHEIGHTENED FOR ALOT OF OURSTUDENTS" "WE WANT TO MAKE ASERIES FOR PARENTS SPECIFICALLYON THINGS LIKE ANXIETY AND HOWTO WORK WITH YOUR STUDENT INTHE HOME"THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THEYPLAN TO HAVE TELEHEALTHCOUNSELING SERVICES AND HOLDINFORMATIONALTOWN HALLS TO HELP STUDENTS ANDPARENTS UNDERSTAND ANDNAVIGATE THEIR EMOTIONS BETTER."BEING ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANDVALIDATE YOUR STUDENTSFEELINGS MANY OF THEM MAY FEELSAD OR ANGRY THAT THEYCANT BE AROUND THEIR PEERS ORTEACHERS SO ITS A DRASTICCHANGE FOR ALL OF THEM"ACCORDING TO A SCHOOLPSYCHOLOGIST, THE BIGGESTCHANGE WILL BE HELPING YOURCHILD ADAPT TO PLAY TIME ANDWORK TIME WITHIN THE HOMESETTING.

"THEY'RE GOING TO HAVETO SWITCH FROM BEING HOME ONSUMMER VACATION TO NOW GOING TOSCHOOL ALSO IN THEIRHOME SO BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP AROUTINE MAYBE ITS A SPECIALWORD, OBJECT, BRACELET, SHIRT,OR A DESIGNATED AREA THAT HELPSTHEM MAKE THAT SWITCH INTOSCHOOL"THESE RESOURCES ARE FROM THEBAKERSFIELC CITYSCHOOL DISTRICT BUTWE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOURESOURCESTHATOUR OTHER LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTSARE WORKING ON TOHELP YOU MANAGE THIS TIME.CONTAINMENT EFFORTS CONTINUEWITH THE MINERAL FIRE