Bright Spots in school wellness
A student at Elizabeth Learning Center
The L.A. Trust’s School Health Policy Roundtable brings together education and health leaders across L.A. County to advance policies that integrate student health into everyday school life. As part of this effort, the Roundtable has launched the Bright Spots Project, a multi-year initiative to highlight schools that are embedding health as a core component of student success. By documenting and sharing these examples, the project aims to inspire systems change and spread promising practices across the region.
We’re sharing case studies that highlight two big levers for lasting impact: School Health Workforce Development and Sustainable School Health Finance.
These aren’t just great ideas, they’re real examples of what’s already working. And we hope they’ll spark more action across our region.
Want to receive a presentation on one or more case studies? Contact Gabby Tilley Or Nekhoe Hogan.
Meet the Bright Spots
Lynwood Unified School District: Whole-child wellness through community schools
Through a strong commitment to community schools, Lynwood developed systems to align resources and sustain support for the whole child. Its Health Collaborative, now 40+ partners strong, coordinates school-based services across the district. With wellness embedded in their LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan), Lynwood is leveraging partnership power to meet student needs and achieve lasting impact.
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Helpline Youth Counseling: Embedding Certified Wellness Coaches
HYC embedded culturally responsive, certified wellness coaches into school-based Dream Centers, offering safe, healing spaces for students while building toward sustainable billing and shared staffing models with schools.
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Monrovia Unified School District: Turns security staff into billable behavioral health providers
Monrovia is training classified staff (positions that don’t require certification), starting with campus security guards, as Community Health Workers who can bill Medi-Cal for the behavioral health support they already provide to students. It’s a bold strategy to strengthen student wellness and the workforce.
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Green Dot Public Schools + Children’s Institute: A deep partnership model for sustainable school wellness
Children’s Institute isn’t just a service provider, it’s embedded in Green Dot’s community school model. Together, they’re aligning grant funding, wellness roles, and shared priorities to make mental health services sustainable and deeply integrated.
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By sharing your story, you not only shine a light on the incredible work happening at your school, but you also help build a stronger, healthier future for students across L.A. County. Your bright spot could be the spark that inspires the next big breakthrough in school health integration. Let’s learn from each other, lift up what’s working, and move the field forward, together.