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San Dieguito Union High School District

Social-Emotional Resources

What are social-emotional resources?

What are social-emotional resources?

Emotional resources are those assets and skills within ourselves that we can rely on to take care of ourselves. Social resources are those support systems, other people, institutions and professionals that we may rely on to help us in times of need. Sometimes a specific event happens or a situation is going on in life and you just need more information to address it. These are resources from outside of SDUHSD that can help to guide your response or help you to find further support. 
Specific Resource Areas

Specific Resource Areas

Building Resilience

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves "bouncing back" from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth. (APA Resilience)
 
Resources
resilience

Coping & Stress Management

Stress is generally considered as being synonymous with distress and dictionaries may define it as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension” or “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” Thus, stress was put in a negative light and its positive effects ignored. However, stress can be helpful and good when it motivates people to accomplish more. Increased stress results in increased productivity – up to a point, after which things go rapidly downhill. However, that point or peak differs for each of us, so we need to be sensitive to the early warning symptoms and signs that suggest a stress overload is starting to push you over the peak. (American Institute of Stress)
 
Coping strategies refer to the specific efforts, both behavioral and psychological, that people employ to master, tolerate, reduce, or minimize stressful events. Two general coping strategies have been distinguished: problem-solving strategies are efforts to do something active to alleviate stressful circumstances, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies involve efforts to regulate the emotional consequences of stressful or potentially stressful events. Research indicates that people use both types of strategies to combat most stressful events (Ref: UCSF MacArthur SES & Health)
 
Coping
 
Below are a few practical steps to maintain your health and decrease stress:
  • Set priorities - decide what must get done and what can wait, do the fastest/easiest items first and learn to say no to new tasks if they are putting you into overload.
  • Note what you have accomplished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do.
  • Exercise regularly - just 30 minutes per day of walking can help boost mood and reduce stress.
  • Schedule regular times for healthy and relaxing activities.
  • Explore stress coping programs, which may incorporate apps, mindfulness, yoga, or other gentle exercises.
  • Stay in touch with people who can provide emotional and other support. Ask for help from friends, family, and community to reduce stress due to school, work burdens or family issues.
  • Recognize signs of your body's response to stress, such as difficulty sleeping, being easily angered, feeling depressed, overwhelmed, and having low energy.
  • Avoid dwelling on problems. If you can't do this on your own, talk to a trusted adult.
  • Seek help from a qualified mental health care provider if you are overwhelmed, feel you cannot cope, have suicidal thoughts, or are using drugs or alcohol to cope.
Ref: Psychology Today
Resources
 
Coping Strategies
Self-Care

Anxiety

Stress and Anxiety -
 
Both are emotional responses, but stress is typically caused by an external trigger. The trigger can be short-term, such as a work deadline or a fight with a loved one or long-term, such as poverty, discrimination and chronic illness. People under stress experience mental and physical symptoms, such as irritability, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, digestive troubles and difficulty sleeping.
 
Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don't go away even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety leads to a nearly identical set of symptoms as stress: insomnia, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, muscle tension and irritability.
 
Both mild stress and mild anxiety respond well to similar coping mechanisms. Physical activity, a nutritious and varied diet, and good sleep hygiene are a good starting point, but there are other coping mechanisms available.
 
If your stress or anxiety does not respond to these management techniques, or if you feel that either stress or anxiety are affecting your day-to-day functioning or mood, consider talking to a mental health professional who can help you understand what you are experiencing and provide you additional coping tools. (American Psychological Association)
 
Resources

BIPOC Resources

BIPOC is an acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. (SAMHSA)
 
Research on the psychological underpinnings of racism shows that when people of color experience racism, discrimination, and/or microaggressions—whether personally, vicariously, or collectively—it affects both their mental and physical health. These experiences can lead to racial trauma or race-based stress whether these threats present themselves in the form of harm and injury, humiliating and shaming events, or witnessing racial discrimination directly. Making structural change and building resilience on an individual and community level in response to these stressors is essential to collective well-being. (American Psychological Organization Advancing EDI)
 
Selected Resources
AAPI – A variety of AAPI resources, data, and support including
 
Union of Pan Asian Communities https://www.upacsd.com  A non-profit that provides mental health services focused on improving the overall well-being of underserved diverse populations.
 
 
 
 
 

Grief

Adolescents and Grief  Adolescents respond to loss and process grief differently than younger children and adults. The Dougy Center states it this way, In our work with teenagers, we've learned that teens respond better to adults who choose to be companions on the grief journey rather than direct it. We have also discovered that adult companions need to be aware of their own grief issues and journeys because their experiences and beliefs impact the way they relate to teens.
 
Resources
For Families
Sudden or Traumatic Loss

LGBTQIA

Students may have specific social-emotional needs based on their gender identity or orientation. Research shows that LGBTQIA+ youth may often suffer from disparate rates of bullying and harassment, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.This increased risk is often the result of, and in reaction to, negative environmental stressors that LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming youth face in their schools, homes, and communities. Recent research also shows that youth suffering from such health risks are at greater academic risk than other youth. (Reference: SDCOE - WestEd, California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and Biennial State CHKS, California Department of Education (CDE) March 2019)
 
Resources

Mental Health Supports

Mental Health means having good ways to deal with your feelings and how to enjoy life, even when things are hard. Just like physical illness, people can experience a mental illness anytime. You may hear people describe mental illness as a mental disorder, neurological disorder or a mental health challenge. Having a mental illness can change how you think, feel or act. It can sometimes make it harder to do the things you want to do. Just like when your body is sick and you go to a doctor, someone with a mental illness can go to a mental health professional. (Ref: Walk In Our Shoes) 
 
 
Resources Find Referrals or Treatment
 

Self Injury Resources

Understanding Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) - NSSI refers to the deliberate destruction of one's body tissue (e.g., cutting, burning, bruising) without conscious suicidal intent and has a lifetime prevalence of 12-25% among adolescents, with 4-7% reporting ongoing NSSI. Approximately one quarter of these youth repeatedly self-injure. (Reference: National Association of School Psychologists)
 
While it might not always be possible to make the causes of pain disappear, there are other ways to express strong emotions and to relieve the pain that do not include harm, some examples are:
  • writing down any feelings on a piece of paper and rip it up or just rip up any paper
  • punching a pillow or kick or hit a ball
  • doing something physical like walking, running or skating 
  • holding something very cold or warm
  • changing your surroundings
  • doing something to make a lot of noise - go somewhere and scream, pound on a drum
  • calling up a friend and talk - not necessarily about self-harm
  • keeping a journal or diary 
  • meditating and breathing deeply or doing a grounding exercise
  • listening to music, dancing or jumping around
  • painting or drawing
  • talking to a counselor
Resources
If you suspect someone is suicidal, please follow the steps on the Suicide Prevention page.

Substance Use Prevention

 
SDUHSD is committed to prevention and intervention in adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Per the Center for Disease Control, adolescent substance use can do the following:
  • Affect the growth and development of teens, especially brain development.
  • Occur more frequently with other risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex and dangerous driving.
  • Contribute to the development of adult health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.
Finally, the earlier teens start using substances, the greater their chances of continuing to use substances and developing substance use problems later in life. When teens begin drinking at an early age, they increase the chance of becoming addicted to or continuing to abuse substances later in life. (Ref: CDC Teen Substance Use)
care solace

care solace

For further mental health supports, SDUHSD partners with CareSolace, a confidential online resource with a live 24X7 concierge line (888) 515-0595 meant to assist individuals in finding local mental health-related programs and counseling services. To use Care Solace, individuals answer ten basic questions in order to receive an extensive list of referrals to applicable care providers. Care Solace takes into account all types of private insurance including Medi-Cal, Medicaid, and Medicare and those that have no insurance. The system also filters by age, gender, zip code, and special request. Care Solace is available for use by San Dieguito families at no cost. Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice. Care Solace does not require a user’s name, address, phone number, or date of birth. All of the information that is entered on their platform is completely confidential and stored securely. 
 
Disclaimer: These external links are provided purely as resources for educational purposes and SDUHSD does not endorse any specific external agencies/services. These resources do not replace the need for medical or psychological intervention. If you are in need of more help, please reach out to a counselor or medical or mental health professional. If you need immediate help, text TALK to 38255 to anonymously speak with a trained counselor 24/7 or visit these immediate 24/7 Support Resources.
- Who do I contact at school? Start with your student's school counselor.  SDUHSD Social-Emotional MTSS - Roles and Referral Processes