FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. — In response to an increasing mental health crisis among young people, a collaboration between the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools and the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health has brought much-needed mental health services directly to students in schools. This initiative, known as All 4 Youth, aims to provide essential support to students dealing with a range of mental health challenges.
Addressing Mental Health Challenges in Schools
Fresno County is facing a growing mental health crisis, with many students arriving at school carrying more than just their backpacks. Yovana Munro, the Behavioral Health Program Supervisor for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, shared a sobering statistic: one in four students entering schools has experienced trauma. Munro described the emotional and psychological weight these students carry, saying “So students are not only walking into classrooms with backpacks full of books, they’re walking in with stresses, with anxiety, with food insecurities.”
This mental health burden is compounded by a lack of adequate resources to support these students. To address this, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools and the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health joined forces to create a solution that would meet the growing need for mental health services in schools.
All 4 Youth Program: A Lifeline for Students
The All 4 Youth program, now in its seventh year, provides mental health services to all 31 school districts and more than 300 schools across Fresno County. Trina Frazier, Assistant Superintendent for Support Services at Fresno County’s Superintendent of Schools, discussed the reasons behind the program’s inception: “In the schools, we were seeing a lot of anxiety and depression, self-harming activities… We started this partnership together because both entities saw the need, and we knew that neither one of us could do it by ourselves.”
By bringing mental health services directly to the schools, the program ensures that students have access to care where they spend most of their time—on school campuses.
Wellness Centers Providing Comprehensive Support
The mental health services are delivered through wellness centers located on or near school campuses. These centers are designed to provide a safe and private space for students to receive support. The wellness centers feature private counseling rooms with separate entrances, ensuring students’ privacy and comfort.
Tammy Frates, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Programs, explained that the wellness centers are multifunctional spaces that provide a range of services, including prevention and wellness activities: “We provide in our wellness centers prevention and wellness activities so our wellness centers are a multifunctional space.”
Currently, there are 11 wellness centers in operation, supporting around 4,000 students annually. These centers have become an essential resource for students in Fresno County, particularly in rural areas where mental health services are scarce.
Serving Rural Communities and Expanding Access
While the program has been impactful in urban areas, there is a growing focus on expanding services to rural parts of Fresno County. These rural communities often face limited access to mental health resources, making the All 4 Youth program particularly important.
Munro highlighted the significance of the program in these underserved areas: “They really lack and are limited to the resources that they have because they are rural, so that’s why our agency and services like ours are so crucial and important.”
In response to this need, a 12th wellness center is set to open in Raisin City, which will further expand the program’s reach and ensure that more students across the county can access the support they need.
A Lifeline for Students and Families
The wellness centers have become a lifeline for many families in Fresno County, offering essential mental health support and resources. Frazier shared the emotional impact of seeing students and families benefit from these services: “So much work has been involved but it’s worth it when you see the students and you see the families come into this space there’s nothing that warms your heart more.”
As the All 4 Youth program continues to expand, it remains a critical resource for students struggling with mental health challenges, providing them with the support and care they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
