San Marcos council proclaims Mental Health Awareness Month, highlights school-based program funded with ARPA
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Summary
The City Council proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month and recognized the "Let's Face It Together" partnership between the city and the San Marcos Unified School District, noting use of ARPA funds to support youth mental-health services.
Mayor Jones and the City Council issued a proclamation on May 27 recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month and highlighting the "Let's Face It Together" program, a city-school district partnership that the mayor said has received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support student mental health.
The mayor said the pandemic revealed unmet mental-health needs among youth and that the city worked "with the school district to use some of our ARPA funds to help with the kids and their mental health." The proclamation described the program's goals as reducing stigma, connecting youth to services, and addressing anxiety, depression and other challenges.
Cheryl Baker, a counselor at Mission Hills High School, told the council, "Mental health awareness is at the heart of everything that we do every day. We love this community. We love our kids." She said the program's message that "it's okay to be not okay" and the availability of help are central to school-based efforts.
The council presented the proclamation to school counselors and TrueCare program staff and thanked local educators and providers for their work. No formal policy action or additional funding decisions were made during the meeting; the proclamation affirms the council's support and calls for continued community attention and outreach.
Representatives from Mission Hills High School and TrueCare accepted the proclamation and reiterated a commitment to student mental-health outreach and reducing stigma.
