Project Cal-Well, a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education, produced this easy-to-use guide with input from families, educators, mental health professionals, and youth. The guide helps parents, other adult family members, and caregivers support the overall well-being and mental health of school-aged children. It offers information about the social and emotional development of young people and explains warning signs that may signal mental health challenges. It equips caregivers with targeted strategies, tools, and resources that help them advocate for their family, address each child’s specific needs, and access professional help.

Key topics and tips include:

  • conversation starters to help open the lines of communication with children and teens;
  • enjoyable ways to connect, develop wellness routines, and create well-being practices as a family;
  • information addressing mental health myths, including the specific needs and increased challenges facing young people who identify as LGBTQ+;
  • information on how to recognize signs that a child is bullying or being bullied;
  • tools to create a family media plan that sets boundaries around technology and gives children the skills to be online safely using age-appropriate platforms; and
  • advice for partnering with schools to access mental health and family wellness resources and supports.

Share This Guide

Share this guide with families in your district! The authors recommend providing this guide alongside referrals to local resources to support your community.

The Family Guide to Supporting Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being can be shared with this one-page handout containing a QR code for a digital copy of the guide and online resources.  

Check out the Spanish-language version of the guide.

Guía familiar para apoyar la salud mental y el bienestar de los jóvenes
Esta guía fácil de usar ayuda a los padres y los cuidadores a apoyar el bienestar general y la salud mental de los niños y jóvenes. Equipa a los cuidadores con estrategias, herramientas y recursos específicos.