January 27, 2025 – This 2025, Clovis Unified is pulling out all the stops for their students to thrive by opening several “wellness centers” across the district, aimed at providing comprehensive mental health services for students and their families.
With one center at Tarpey Elementary School, the latest addition opened on Friday, January 24, at Miramonte Elementary School, making Clovis the first school district in Fresno County to have more than one wellness center.
“We have seen just this big influx, the last several years, of students who are requiring mental health support,” said Michelle Dodson, Principal of Miramonte Elementary. “We have been focusing not just as a site, but as a district, on getting students the support that they need…so they can access the learning and the education that we’re still trying to provide them.”
This was all made possible by the collaboration of Miramonte’s staff, the All 4 Youth program, and Fresno County.
All 4 Youth is a program merging the efforts of the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health and the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools to provide a variety of services for students. Throughout the years ahead, they plan to open a total of 13 wellness centers in Clovis alone.
The support given by the wellness center is multi-faceted: there are areas designed for children to relax and enjoy various activities, “Wellness Wednesdays” that give children and families resources to better their mental health, counselors to speak with, and even a room with a webcam set-up for families to speak with a tele-psychiatrist.
Speaking to this multi-functionality of the space, Dodson explained, “We look at educating the whole child in mind, body, and spirit, and this is definitely it. It just encompasses that whole thing, that we want to make sure that the whole student is being educated and ready to learn.”
Walking into the space, the focus on holistic education is immediately evident – the front entrance displays dozens of brochures with information on the All 4 Youth program, the Department of Social Services, family advocacy services, and other kinds of support.
The rest of the space invites children and families into a peaceful atmosphere, complete with children’s games and various toys, cozy seating for relaxation, a selection of self-help books, and other amenities.
Tammy Frates, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Programs and Services at the Fresno County Office of Education, spoke to the multi-functionality of the space as well.
“The number one thing that, when we surveyed our schools, was a barrier accessing medical services was space,” she stated. “By creating these wellness centers, it provides 3 additional treatment homes specifically for mental health.”
Additionally, services are provided for families that do not speak English, and the center is open year-round, even during school holidays and breaks.
During the opening, families were also given a chance to preview mobile vans specifically created to provide “therapy on wheels.”
There are a total of 4 mobile vans in the All 4 Youth program, which aim to offer confidential space for counseling services to rural communities when space at schools, communities, and homes is limited.
The vehicle provides ample space and comfortable seating for individuals to relax during their therapy sessions.
The availability of the vehicle and the wellness center was made possible through the help of dedicated support, a sentiment that was reflected by all in attendance at the opening of the center.
For example, Dodson showed significant gratitude towards the county for their support in establishing the center, stating, “I don’t think it would have been possible without them.”
Clovis Unified plans to implement 11 more of these centers throughout the district, providing services across the area for children and families to get the support they need, no matter where in Clovis they may be located. The future is bright for this program and CUSD students who now have access to mental health support through the wellness center.
Families or students interested in using these services are encouraged to get in touch with their local wellness center or going to All 4 Youth’s website at https://all4youth.fcoe.org/.