Join Dr. Sohil R. Sud, Director of the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), as he shares how California is reimagining behavioral health systems to better serve children, youth, and families. Learn about the state's transformative investments and innovative approaches to building a more equitable, accessible, and youth-centered behavioral health system. 

Dr. Sud serves as Director of the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, California’s multi-year multi-billion investment to transform the way children, youth, and families receive behavioral health services and supports. Prior to this role, he supported the California Department of Public Health and led Safe Schools for All, the state’s interagency team to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in TK-12 schools.

This workshop will provide an overview of the California mandates for school safety planning, provide strategies by sharing tools to integrate safety planning into all school improvement efforts based on Ed Code 32280-32289. Attendees are encouraged to email critical items they wish to be discussed either through the training or emailed response.

This will be a comprehensive and interactive training on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), designed to deepen understanding of the issue and help service providers and teaching staff to feel confident of their knowledge of the resources in the community. We'll explore the various forms of abuse, and examine the intersections between Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault through case studies.

A key focus will be on the health impacts of abuse—both on children exposed to violence and the long-term physical and mental health risks survivors face. We’ll also discuss how societal attitudes, stigma, and systemic barriers can prevent individuals from reporting abuse or accessing services.The presentation will include a breakdown of power and control dynamics, national and international statistics on IPV, and a closer look at the scope of the issue. I’ll also share information about the services we offer at Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, how we collaborate with partners across Santa Clara County, and what our collective efforts look like in action.

By the end of the training, participants—including educators, school staff, and community members—will leave with a strong understanding of local resources and how to make referrals to our organization to support students and families in need.

Presented by Stanford’s REACH Lab, this fast-paced, interactive workshop will equip participants with free, evidence-based prevention tools focused on the Triangulum of nicotine, vaping, and cannabis. We will also explore ready-to-use lessons on opioids and fentanyl, plus two brand-new, inclusive curricula—PRIDE (LGBTQI+ focused) and Environmental (centered on health and justice). Discover real-world strategies for engaging peer educators and uplifting youth voices in transforming exclusionary school discipline through restorative, educational approaches. Walk away with innovative resources and inspiration to empower youth as leaders in wellness and policy change. 

When parents are supported, students thrive—and so do educators. BrightLife Kids is a free, statewide behavioral health program that provides live coaching and on-demand support for both parents and children, helping families build emotional resilience and navigate everyday challenges. In this session, we’ll share key lessons from the program’s first 1.5 years of statewide rollout, focusing on how this innovative model strengthens the home-school connection and reinforces the work educators are doing in the classroom.

You’ll hear insights from diverse communities across California on what families need most, and how equipping parents with social-emotional tools has helped address issues like chronic absenteeism, emotional dysregulation, and stress at home that often spills into the school day. Educators will leave with ideas to deepen family engagement, support whole-child wellness, and build stronger partnerships between schools and caregivers—so that teachers, parents, and students can all succeed together.

The presentation will be conducted by a high school student Sowmya Sundar (she/her)  consisting of a lecture and a workshop/make and take. The student presenter will begin the lecture by introducing herself and why art is an effective and accessible way to help students destress. She will then discuss her program, Healing Hues, and the challenges and successes she faced while implementing it. The presenter will also include quotes and pictures of the activities, and statistics from the daily surveys students took. After this, she will inform participants on how the Healing Hues program can be implemented at other campuses.  Sowmya Sundar will discuss the materials needed, and the other elements necessary for conducting the program. She will also display her website, lesson plans, and videos that she has created to increase accessibility to the program. After the lecture, she will conduct a workshop with the participants. The workshop will be “creating dream flags,” which is creating artworks of a message you want to send out into the universe. The student presenter will provide a variety of materials, state the instructions, and play relaxing music. After the workshop is complete, participants, if comfortable, will share their artwork and why they chose it. They will be able to take their artwork home with them. 

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer, and is a nationally recognized, evidence-based suicide prevention training designed to teach individuals how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond effectively. Much like CPR, QPR is intended to offer immediate, life-saving support in a crisis situation until professional help can be obtained. The training also includes an overview of the myths and facts about suicide, common risk factors, behavioral clues, and protective factors. Participants are given tools and scripts to help initiate difficult conversations and encouraged to practice empathy, active listening, and maintaining personal boundaries. QPR is appropriate for educators, parents, students, healthcare workers, and community members. Its goal is to empower everyday people to become "gatekeepers"—those in a position to recognize and respond to someone in crisis—ultimately reducing suicide rates through early intervention and community support.