Connection Is the Cure: What Wellness Together's 10th Year Taught Us About Belonging, Hope, and Student Mental Health

Some conferences send you home with models that seem out of reach. Wellness Together's 10th anniversary conference (San Diego, Sep. 9-11) sent us home with a recharged "why" behind our work and idea for the small steps toward our future goals. Conference attendees rallied behind ideas like "Connection is the Cure" and "Building Hope & Resilience for the Next Generation." Educators, counselors and mental health leaders came together around an idea many of us at Sown To Grow first learned in classrooms and counseling offices: strong relationships are a protective support and powerful healing tool for mental health and well-being.

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Joy and Honesty Can Share the Same Room

Mychal Threets, "Mychal the Librarian" and the new host of Reading Rainbow, spoke about creating joyful environments that are also safe places to say "I'm not okay" and get help. Dr. Lisa Damour, clinical psychologist and scientific consultant for Disney-Pixar's Inside Out 2, built on that message. We need to give kids words for their feelings early, and help them see that emotions are layered and sometimes contradictory. Naming a feeling is the first step toward a healthy way through it.

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A Call to Action, and a Way to Fund It

California State Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson and Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber both called for equal access to preventive care, which needs to include mental health care. Sessions on the fee schedule program of California's Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) showed that vision taking shape.

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CYBHI is a landmark step toward steady funding for the care that makes learning possible. Sown To Grow's weekly check-in and Tier 1 and 2 curriculum can qualify for reimbursement when delivered by qualifying professionals. Our team also helps partners build the systems they need to bill for it. Meet with us to learn more!

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Get Connected: Making Wellness a District Priority

Nicole DeWitt, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction at San Diego Unified, shared how her district organized around a wellness goal. After more than 700 students weighed in, the district simplified its definition: "Wellness is taking care of our body, our mind, and the connections we have with family, friends, and community." The district's goal now pairs chronic absenteeism targets with growth in the share of students who report belonging, mattering and strong teacher relationships. She reminded us that a rating on a survey tells you what a student selected, not why. Student voice is critical.

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Get Equipped: Every Student Known

Our partners on Metro Nashville Public Schools' Trauma-Informed Schools team shared their Advocacy Center model. Every elementary school and early learning center has a dedicated space for safety, regulation, connection and learning, and each one is staffed by an Advocacy Coach. Last school year, those 74 centers provided more than 61,000 support interactions. That included over 40,000 preventive supports and more than 9,000 supports for adult wellness. Sown To Grow's weekly check-in is a vital part of the system to identify students who may benefit from the advocacy centers and give students the tools to advocate for their own needs.

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Get Inspired: Adults First

Activities for singing, playing, laughing and moving together throughout the conference reminded us that small moments of connection are wellness too. In "Adult Resilience First: The Missing Link in Student Mental Health," Meri McCoy-Thompson of Dovetail Learning asked us to notice our own stress reactions and pause in the "space in-between" before responding. She showed how small daily practices build resilience that we can model for students and keep us centered in this important work.

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Sown To Grow on Stage

Dr. Zaia Vera, our Executive of Scaled Impact and Adult SEL instructor at UC Berkeley, co-presented "Staff First, Students Always" with Alisha Rodriguez, a counselor at Scholarship Prep's Santa Ana campus. They shared three lessons: 1) start with adult wellness to ensure your foundation for student support is strong, 2) build belonging through routine as a part of Tier 1, and 3) when you have well adults building belonging with students, you create the trust necessary to identify needs earlier and provide support when it will be most impactful. At Scholarship Prep, Sown To Grow's weekly universal screener is part of Community Meeting, giving students a safe space to share and gives adults a window into their needs. This relationship-driven approach keeps their MTSS system balanced and their schools focused on helping students thrive.

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Kelsey Aijala, our Director of District & School Engagement, presented "Belonging First: New Research on How Relationships Support Attendance & Behavior." Chronic absenteeism in California has leveled off above pre-pandemic rates, and 75% of educators say student behavior is their top challenge this year. New research on California community schools found that schools using Sown To Grow reduced chronic absenteeism two to three times faster than peer schools, and schools with strong practice cut exclusionary discipline nearly three times as fast. Belonging is a powerful proactive strategy to keep students in school and engaged in positive learning. Check out our research on the work!

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Watering Seeds, Not Just Putting Out Fires

Ten years in, Wellness Together's message is clear: connection is the foundation for learning, not an add-on. When students feel known, they tell us what's going on before it becomes a crisis.

Ready to build belonging, spot student needs early, and explore CYBHI reimbursement? Meet with us to discuss your wellness goals! Meet with us to discuss your wellness goals!