As teen mental health challenges continue to rise nationwide, Mater Dei has taken a step toward student wellness through its five-year partnership with Rady Children’s Health, formerly CHOC Children’s Psychology, providing on-campus clinicians, a wellness curriculum, and family support. Focused on prevention, education, and early intervention, the program reflects a growing effort by schools to support students not only academically but also emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

A 2020 Child Mind Institute survey found that more than 70% of parents reported a decline in their child’s emotional well-being since the start of the pandemic, with anxiety and depression being the most common concerns families sought support for. According to the Maternal & Child Health Bureau, in 2023, approximately 5.3 million adolescents ages 12–17 were living with a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition, with anxiety affecting the highest number of teens. With these challenges affecting students nationwide, schools are increasingly being called to be involved in early support and prevention, and Mater Dei’s mental wellness partnership was created to address these issues.

The collaboration began in 2020, when Mater Dei leaders recognized that traditional counseling alone was no longer enough to meet students’ growing needs. Executive Director of Wellness Counseling Services Kellie Bauer says the school wanted to build a stronger, more intentional system of care. 

“Mater Dei cares deeply about the well-being of its students and recognizes the growing need to expand mental health services in response to the broader challenges facing young people today—within our community and nationwide,” Bauer said. “I, with the support of MD leadership, began attending CHOC community events and reached out to explore the possibility of bringing clinical support to our campus.”

Working alongside Rady’s Chief Psychologist Heather Huszti, the school developed a unique on-campus care model that allows students to receive brief assessments, crisis intervention, and emotional check-ins during the school day. Since then, Mater Dei has expanded from having a visiting Fellow–post-doctoral psychologist–on campus to a fully licensed clinician available most days of the week. Over time, the partnership expanded to include a Resource Specialist who helps families connect with outside providers.

“We have evolved from having a Fellow on campus most of the week to having a fully licensed clinician on campus most days,” Bauer said. “Ensuring students have access to professional, on-site mental health care. Additionally, the creation of my position, dedicated fully to mental health and wellness programming, allows for consistent, proactive initiatives that address students’ emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.”

A central part of the partnership is the Be Well, MD wellness curriculum, taught through Religious Studies classes across all grade levels. Designed by Rady clinician Dr. Ana d’Abreu, the curriculum is specialized to each grade level: freshmen focus on emotional awareness and regulation, sophomores on self-esteem and healthy relationships, juniors on identity and stereotypes, and seniors on preparing for a balanced life after high school. Religious Studies teacher Kathryn Bystedt believes introducing these topics early is appropriate and necessary for students.

“I think it’s great,” Bystedt said. “We just covered how substance abuse is obviously an unhealthy coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, [and] depression. And to introduce students to healthy coping skills, alternative ways of being able to either give our minds a break if we need to.”

Bystedt emphasizes that lessons on human dignity and healthy relationships work together to remind students of their worth and the importance of community. She adds that learning what healthy relationships look like reinforces the idea that people are meant to support and care for one another.

“You were made in the image and likeness of God,” Bystedt said. “You have worth and value even on your hardest day, even if the hard days last a little while, they’re not going to last forever.”

Because many of the topics are personal, Bystedt creates a safe and respectful classroom environment. At the start of each lesson, she reviews expectations for listening, empathy, and openness.

“People are coming into these lessons from different perspectives,” Bystedt said. “At the start of all of our lessons, we have ground rules. We respect that everybody is coming from a different place and might have an experience that is very different from yours. Hopefully, all classes feel that sense of safety and community, where [students] can bring their true self to the situation.”

While classroom lessons build awareness, the partnership is also centered on its clinical foundation. From a medical and developmental perspective, Rady Psychologist Ana d’Abreu says early education on topics such as substance abuse, healthy relationships, and self-advocacy is especially important for teenagers, and she hopes students carry these skills beyond high school.

“As students move into adulthood, life naturally brings new responsibilities, more complex relationships, and a variety of stressors,” d’Abreu said. “The Be Well skills are designed to help students manage these challenges, not just in high school but throughout their lives. Be Well, MD! teaches lifelong tools for navigating whatever comes your way.”

According to d’Abreu, student responses to the curriculum have mainly been positive. Yearly data shows a decrease in the number of students reaching severe levels of anxiety and depression since the partnership began. Surveys show strong engagement in lessons on goal-setting, identity exploration, and active listening.

“The curriculum has been very well received,” d’Abreu said. “When we surveyed the students, a majority found the lessons to be very helpful. Some of the most impactful lessons include Goal Setting, Active Listening, and Identity Exploration.”

Students have access to a tip line, referral forms, and the Wellness Team’s contact information through their iPads and around campus. To further normalize access to help, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is printed on the back of every student ID card.

“It ensures that students always have immediate access to a trusted resource, making it easier for them to seek help when they need it,” Bauer said. “For students, we hope it provides a constant reminder that support is available and normalizes reaching out for help. For the school, we hope it reinforces a culture where emotional well-being is prioritized, and students feel supported both on and off campus.”

Each month, the Wellness Team and Rady clinicians host lunchtime wellness activities to help students connect with peers and practice social-emotional skills. Besides prioritizing student wellness, the partnership also recognizes that families play a critical role in supporting mental health. d’Abreu explains that many parents are learning how to navigate these conversations for the first time, where mental health awareness was not always openly discussed.

“Parents want a relationship with their teens where open, honest conversations about life can happen,” d’Abreu said. “They are learning how to respond in ways that balance validation and support with clear expectations, especially when mental health awareness may be limited. The Rady Children’s and MD Wellness Team provides parents with opportunities to learn how to create better relationships and identify mental health symptoms in their teens.”

As the partnership continues to grow, the impact can be seen not only in the resources it offers but also in the daily care it provides. With students’ well-being as the heart of the program, d’Abreu hopes students feel supported both now and beyond high school.

“This partnership offers students daily access to licensed professionals, referrals to community mental health resources, and consistent support to help them thrive,” d’Abreu said.