The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative’s (CYBHI) Stories from the Field series showcase the values, vision and goals of the Initiative through personal experiences, composite stories and audiocasts. They demonstrate how the CYBHI can build on existing efforts, learn from them and work towards scalable and systemic change.

California’s health and education systems share the goal of ensuring our young people have the support they need to learn and thrive, and their vision and values emphasize equity and embrace a whole-child approach. The following story is one example of the impact that can be achieved when we break down the silos separating the systems that serve youth and families and center their efforts around the needs and voices of the people they serve.

Imagine a school that focuses not just on what students learn but on creating an environment in which they can learn more effectively. Where they can find academic help, but also connect to support that strengthens their families, addresses their physical and behavioral health needs and engages vital social services. And rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, imagine the school is guided by and reflects the specific needs of its students, families and community.

What you’re picturing isn’t theoretical. It’s an evidence-based, whole-child approach called Community Schools that is redefining how California can address the needs of young people and their families. 

Well-being and school success are symbiotic. Students’ behavioral health affects school attendance, learning, and educational outcomes, and schools serve as a critical component of the ecosystem supporting their behavioral health.

Community Schools are a hub where students and families can find support that meets their needs, from academics to behavioral health, social services, community resources and more. They unite the efforts of schools, government agencies, community-based organizations and others to create better outcomes for young people, families and communities. 

Through the California Community Schools Partnership Program, this model is being implemented throughout the state. One school that’s already seeing the benefits is Los Angeles County’s Bassett High School. 

A Foundation of Collaboration

Arriving at Bassett High School four years ago, Principal Hector Vasquez saw incredible strengths in the school and its community, but he could also tell they needed support. 

“Our mission is to provide a diverse, high-quality education in a safe environment for all of our students,” Principal Vasquez said. “To achieve that, we had to have help with our community needs.” 

When the State of California began a pilot program to implement the Community Schools model, he immediately saw it as a good fit. But succeeding would require collaboration among everyone involved with the initiative, from staff and educators to students, families and community members.

“It’s not top down. It’s not ‘you must,’’ Principal Vasquez said. “We looked at our needs, we looked at the data, and then, together, we came up with next steps of implementation.”

With guidance from a campus-wide Community Schools Council, the model has helped them in their efforts to develop a more holistic approach that meets the needs of the whole student. Key to its success has been building on existing relationships and coordinating the services the school already has. “Having supports on campus makes a huge difference,” said Community Schools Coordinator Estela Peregrina. “For example, we’ve got Foothill Family Services, Pacific Clinics, Margaret’s Place, the Wellbeing Center and the Wellness Spot, all in one place. We’re also finding new ways to get students and families involved and bring them to the table.”

Leading Together

One of the most powerful parts of the Community Schools model is the commitment to involving the needs and voices of students and families at every level. At Bassett High School, that meant creating ways for students to shape the policies that impact their education.

On the school’s Olympian Student Leadership Council, students discuss issues they’re experiencing at the school and suggest improvements to programs and policies. 

“We all bring new approaches and develop them together,” said Councilmember and Bassett High Junior Aylin Garcia, “We look at what’s working, what’s not working, what needs improvement. What we can do to make the school better for everybody”. 

At one meeting, someone brought up a policy on cell phone use that had been used in one of her classes. Using that as a jumping off point, the students created a recommendation for a new policy that would be fair for both teachers and students, which went on to be implemented for everyone.

“The policy they came up with mirrors what an administrator might create,” Principal Vasquez said. “It specified consequences and due process and everything.” 

Meeting Community Needs

Community Schools also serve as a central point where communities can identify and respond to their own needs. Bassett High has embraced this idea, creating an in-school “Bassett Resource Center (BRC) Boutique,” where students, families and community members can get needed supplies that they might not have at home, at no cost. It’s an idea that students and staff created together.

“There was a problem getting women’s products at the school,” said Councilmember and Bassett High School Senior Samantha Bustamante, . “We went to Ms. Peregrina, and she said ‘We’re gonna give you all of this, but we’re also gonna think about the other students. What do they need?’”

Soon, they had space and support from the school to open the Boutique. Not only does it serve students, but it’s led by them as well. “We brought in the business pathway teacher lead and staff who have retail experience,” said Ms. Peregrina. “They interviewed students for managerial positions, who then got to hire their own staff to work the floor.”

Erick Roque, a freshman at California Polytechnic who graduated from Bassett in the fall, was the store’s first manager. He sees the Boutique as not just giving students the items they need, but helping them develop skills that will help them throughout their lives.

“The work helps you handle more responsibilities,” Erick said. “Answering questions in interviews, being on time and reliable. It’s really going to help students when they want to get a job outside of school.”

The Power of Community Solutions

Transformational change isn’t something that can be accomplished on your own. Creating lasting impact and building requires collaboration — across sectors, roles and communities. It means involving the people who are affected by those systems, so that their voices, needs and goals drive the process. 

To Ms. Peregrina, that last aspect is what makes the Community Schools model so effective. “It’s amazing to help students to build something of their own that they feel proud of,” she said. “To help them provide something great, not just for their fellow students, but for their families and community as well.”

Community schools like Bassett High School are an example of the impact that can be created when the systems serving our youth and families integrate their efforts under a shared vision and embrace approaches that are guided by the people they serve. These values are central to the CYBHI and inform every aspect of our work. Visit the CYBHI webpage to learn more about how the CYBHI is putting them into practice to serve all California children and families.