You Matter Shasta

09/02/2026

🎒🍎🍂 Back-to-school season can bring big feelings.

For some kids, returning to school means more than adjusting to new schedules and homework. Sadness, low energy, friendship struggles, worry, or feeling stuck can make the transition especially challenging.

Join BrightLife Kids for an upcoming FREE webinar:

🌟 A Brighter Fall: Supporting Kids Through Back-to-School Blues
📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM Pacific Time

This webinar will explore gentle, practical ways parents, caregivers, educators, and other trusted adults can support kids through tough school days, friendship challenges, and big feelings about the world around them.

Supporting a child's emotional well-being doesn't always mean having the perfect answer. Sometimes it starts with noticing, listening, and helping them feel understood and supported. 💛

📲 Learn more and register through BrightLife Kids:
https://hellobrightline.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EyOglVmyT4mN4ChUf4cnqQ #/registration

08/27/2026

💜💙 Supporting youth mental health starts before a crisis.

As a new school year begins and we prepare for Su***de Prevention Month in September, schools and youth-serving organizations have an important opportunity to create environments where young people feel connected, understand mental health, and know how to reach out when they or a friend need help.

Erika’s Lighthouse offers FREE, evidence-informed mental health education, and su***de prevention resources for K–12 schools. Their programs are designed to make it easier for educators and school communities to start important conversations about mental health and help-seeking.

Resources include:
• Developmentally appropriate K–12 classroom lessons
• Depression education and su***de awareness curriculum
• Student-led mental health Empowerment Clubs
• Family engagement resources
• School staff training and policy resources
• Implementation support and program evaluation tools

The curriculum is available at no cost, offered in English and Spanish, and designed for flexible implementation within school settings.

📣 Shasta County schools, educators, counselors, and youth-serving partners: Consider how these resources could complement the mental health and su***de prevention work already happening in your school or organization.

💻 Explore the free programs and resources from Erika’s Lighthouse: https://erikaslighthouse.org/

Every trusted adult can play a role in creating spaces where young people feel comfortable talking about mental health, asking for help, and supporting one another. 💚

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Erika's Lighthouse provides the leading depression education and su***de prevention curriculum in the U.S. It’s easy for busy educators to implement and is 100% free. Our goal? Equip every student with the skills and knowledge to recognize early signs of depression and take action.

08/24/2026

💜💙 September is Su***de Prevention Month — and prevention takes all of us.💙💜

As we prepare for Su***de Prevention Month this September, we invite organizations, schools, healthcare providers, businesses, community groups, and other partners across Shasta County to join us in raising awareness, sharing resources, and strengthening our collective commitment to preventing su***de.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers resources and ready-to-share materials to help organizations participate in Su***de Prevention Month. Whether you share information on social media, provide resources to staff and clients, start a conversation about mental health, promote 988, or incorporate su***de prevention into your organization’s activities, every action can help create a more connected and supportive community.

📣📣 How can your organization get involved?
• Share su***de prevention and 988 resources throughout September
• Educate staff and community members about warning signs and how to help
• Use your social media, newsletters, websites, and other communication channels to spread messages of hope and connection
• Encourage conversations about mental health and help-seeking
• Explore ways your organization can support su***de prevention throughout the year

Explore SAMHSA’s Su***de Prevention Month resources and find materials you can use in your own outreach:
https://www.samhsa.gov/about/digital-toolkits/su***de-prevention-month

Join us this September, and together, we can help build a Shasta County where people know they matter, help is available, and no one has to face a difficult moment alone. 💜💙

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08/23/2026

🎒🍎 Back-to-school season is a big transition — for kids and parents alike.

A new school year can bring excitement and new opportunities, but it can also bring anxiety, changing routines, academic pressure, social challenges, and uncertainty. For children already navigating mental health or learning challenges, the transition may feel especially overwhelming.

The Child Mind Institute has created a collection of helpful Back-to-School Resources to help families start the school year with greater confidence and support.

Resources include guidance on:
• Managing back-to-school anxiety
• Supporting kids who are struggling
• Navigating the transitions to elementary, middle, and high school
• Helping kids with ADHD, executive functioning, and sensory processing challenges succeed at school
• Building a positive partnership with your child's teacher
• Supporting neurodiverse students

Whether your child is excited to head back or having a harder time adjusting, a little preparation, patience, and support can make a difference.

📚💛 Explore the Child Mind Institute Back-to-School Resources and find tools that may help your family navigate the school year ahead.
https://childmind.org/resources/back-to-school/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cmi-update-2026-08&utm_content=back-to-school-explore

Find articles and tips to help you navigate back-to-school with a child suffering from mental health or a learning disorder.

08/21/2026

🧡💛 Parenting is rewarding, and it can also be really hard. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. 💛🧡

BrightLife Kids offers FREE parenting support for California families with children ages 0–12, with practical tools to help parents and caregivers feel more confident, supported, and prepared for everyday challenges.

Through BrightLife Kids, families can access:
• Free video coaching tailored to your child and family
• Secure messaging with expert coaches
• Practical parenting tools and resources
• Support with stress and caregiver well-being
• Strategies for tantrums, behavior and emotional regulation
• Help establishing healthy sleep and family routines
• Guidance for school, social skills, transitions, and more

There’s no cost, no insurance required, and no referral needed.

Parent support isn’t about being a “perfect” parent. It’s about having someone in your corner and finding strategies that work for your family.

🌟 Learn more about BrightLife Kids Parent Support and get started for free:
https://www.brightlife.kids/parent-coaching/parent-support/

Because supporting the wellbeing of parents and caregivers helps create healthier, more connected families.

08/20/2026

🎒✏ School attendance can be about more than simply getting out the door.

For some children, school can bring feelings of worry, fear, sadness, or overwhelm that make showing up difficult. Understanding what may be behind school avoidance or absenteeism can help parents, caregivers, educators, and other trusted adults respond with support rather than frustration.

▶️ WEBINAR REPLAY: Helping Kids Show Up: A Guide to Reducing School Absenteeism

This BrightLife Kids webinar explores factors that can make getting to school challenging and offers practical ways trusted adults can help children build confidence, work through difficult emotions, and reconnect with school.

As students settle into a new school year, this is a great resource for:
• Parents and caregivers
• Teachers and school staff
• Counselors and youth-serving professionals
• Anyone supporting a child who is struggling with school attendance

💻 Watch the webinar replay and explore more free resources from BrightLife Kids:
https://hellobrightline.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dHi0DU_iTaenGUQQgPsbdQ #/registration

Sometimes helping a child “show up” starts with understanding what is making it hard to get there. 💛

08/19/2026

Local Support for Youth in Crisis: Youth Rapid Response Team

When a young person is struggling with thoughts of su***de or self-harm, knowing where to turn for help can make an important difference.

The Youth Rapid Response Team (YRRT) from Lotus Educational Services provides free su***de prevention and crisis support for youth and young adults ages 5–25 who live in Shasta County. Services are designed to provide timely support during a crisis while helping youth and families build safety, stability, and connection moving forward.

The Youth Rapid Response Team offers:
• Same-day crisis response, 365 days a year
• Youth-focused assessment and collaborative safety planning
• Support and resources for parents and caregivers
• Individual crisis counseling and ongoing stabilization services
• Youth and parent coaching and groups
• Connections to additional community resources and services

Anyone can make a referral — including youth themselves, parents and caregivers, educators, healthcare providers, clinicians, and community organizations.

📱 Call or text: 530-440-6717
Available 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

Learn more about the Youth Rapid Response Team and how to access services:
https://lotuseducationalservices.com/youth-crisis/

💙💜Supporting youth through difficult moments takes all of us. Knowing about local resources and sharing them with others can help ensure young people and families know they don't have to navigate a crisis alone.💜💙

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Shasta County’s ERs are seeing hundreds of young people every year who are struggling with self-harm or suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

08/19/2026

Military life is defined by changes—deployment, reintegration, and PCSing (Permanent Change of Station). Each phase brings a unique set of transitions and challenges that can affect children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health. This webinar provides caregivers with tools to manage the emotional cycle of military family transitions and help children feel grounded, even when their world is shifting.

Join MHA for this 60-minute session to discuss:
✅ Techniques for staying connected during long-distance separations.
✅ Managing the “re-entry” phase when a service member returns home.
✅ Building a portable support system & coping toolbox for the whole family.

For registration information, please visit: https://mhanational-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2fGa5pT1T0CA-nrjruIFpw #/registration

08/17/2026

📘 California’s behavioral health system is changing. What does the shift from MHSA to BHSA mean?

The Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) is changing how California prioritizes and invests behavioral health funding — including how resources are allocated and how counties plan for behavioral health needs.

The California Health Care Foundation has created a helpful collection of resources explaining the transition, including:

🔹 An easy-to-follow infographic
🔹 A fact sheet on changing behavioral health priorities
🔹 A brief exploring what the transition may mean for California communities

Understanding these changes can help community members, partners, and behavioral health professionals stay informed as California’s behavioral health system evolves.

🔗 Learn more: From MHSA to BHSA: How California's Behavioral Health Policy Priorities Are Changing https://www.chcf.org/resource/2026/06/25/mhsa-bhsa-california-behavioral-health-policy-priorities/

08/13/2026

Sometimes a new friendship starts with one good question. 🗣🗨

As students head back to school, making friends and finding a sense of belonging can make a big difference in how connected they feel.

The Greater Good Science Center shares 36 questions designed to help young people get to know one another and build connections, from fun conversation starters to questions that encourage a little more openness and understanding.

Parents, educators, youth leaders, and anyone who works with young people can use these questions to help make connecting a little easier.

Because feeling like you belong matters. 💜💙

🔗 Explore the questions: 36 Questions That Can Help Kids Make Friends
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_to_help_kids_make_friends