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Piedmont wellness center reports 900 visits, leaders warn of funding gap
Summary
Millennium principal Irma Munoz Daniels reported 900 wellness-center visits this school year and 104 students receiving ongoing counseling; the board and parent supporters flagged an upcoming grant expiration and discussed alternative funding and billing options.
Irma Munoz Daniels, principal of Millennium High School and administrator of the district wellness center, said the center has become a vital mental-health resource for Piedmont students and described its tiered model of care. "So far in this school year, we've already had 900 visits to the wellness center, with 104 students receiving regular ongoing counseling," she said, noting the center provides free, clinic-level therapeutic services through a partnership with the Berkeley Psychology Internship Consortium.
Munoz Daniels outlined the wellness center’s three primary funding sources: a grant from the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department, community donations coordinated by the Wellness Center Support Committee, and district funds. Martha Yerger and Sarah Mays, members of the support committee, described successful recent fundraising events — a walk-for-wellness and a pickleball tournament — and listed how funds are used to pay trainees and interns. "We raised a whopping $66,427" last year from a pickleball tournament, a committee member said.
Board members asked detailed questions about referrals, consent and session logistics. Munoz Daniels said students and families may decline services and that most services occur during the school day; she said the team makes efforts to minimize academic disruption. The board also discussed the mix of repeat visits and unique clients after a trustee observed the 900 visits figure includes returning students.
Parents and committee members cautioned the board that some external funding streams are ending. A supporter on the committee told the board the county grant "is coming to an end after next school year," creating a sustainability risk. Munoz Daniels said district leaders are exploring alternatives including medical billing to replace some grant revenue and emphasized that the district is proactively seeking additional sources of support.
The presentation highlighted recent recognitions — including the inaugural Brooke Zimmerman plaque — and plans to expand tier-2 group interventions to reach more students. Board members thanked the wellness center staff and parent fundraisers for their work and were urged to recruit additional fundraising leadership to sustain the program.
