Mending Matters is an organization that has been determined to bring individual and group therapy sessions to students nationwide since 2013, and they will now be coming to UC High once a week.

   According to the official Mending Matters website, “Mending Matters works to engage, connect, and empower youth by providing easily accessible and customized mental health support that encourages social-emotional growth and improves overall well-being. With half of all cases of lifetime mental illness beginning by age 14, we believe it is imperative that middle and high school students are given the opportunity to seek help” (mendingmatters.org).

   The website also states, “At Mending Matters, we recognize our responsibility to self-reflect and to have the courage to call each other forward with honesty. Our commitment to our mission holds true today more than ever. We will remain steadfast in doing what is right. Even when it takes us out of our comfort zones, we will listen more and talk less” (mendingmatters.org).

   UC High Head Counselor Kelsey Bradshaw stated, “Mending Matters is a private group that comes in. We funded for them to be here one day a week. They’re trained  marriage and family counselors who work with adolescents and they will mostly run group counseling. They also run some individual counseling to support mental health on campus.”

   According to Bradshaw, the meetings will take place on Thursdays in room 458.

   Bradshaw explained, “They started on November 15 and then hopefully we’ll be able to begin putting in referrals right away so that they can start their groups and everything.”

   Bradshaw continued, “Honestly, I think the best thing that it offers is the group counseling aspect, so that students get to see that there’s other students that may have similar issues that they’re having. And so that it normalizes the need for support and asking for help while you’re dealing with mental health issues.”

   “Most sessions are gonna be groups. They’ll probably run three or four groups during the day and then there may be one or two people that get some individualized counseling. We’ve had Mending Matters for the last three years and we see it as a great resource on campus,” Bradshaw said.

  According to Idea Center High School, which also utilizes the group of counselors, “Mending Matters has credentialed mental health therapists as well as graduate level social work interns available to provide students with support. Services are offered in both English and Spanish as needed” (idea.guhsd.net).

   According to their website, “Mending Matters is continually evolving as an organization to meet the needs of young people, doing so without compromising our mission to provide consistent and relevant mental health support to every student we serve” (mendingmatters.org).

   The website also states, “Workshops are intended for large groups of students and, in some cases, community members, providing essential education and support. 77 percent of attendees rated our therapists five out of five stars upon completion of our LIFE workshop, students reported a 20 percent increase in knowledge of stress management techniques upon completion of our Chill Skills workshop” (mendingmatters.org).

  Their restorative justice aspect of the program is as follows: “Our restorative services support students by focusing on opportunities for growth and learning in lieu of experiencing stay-home suspensions. Students are invited to participate in social-emotional programs that serve as an alternative to suspension, facilitated by our mental health therapists. These services encourage positive interactions, communication, and development among students” (mendingmatters.org).