The Wellness Center works with the Counseling Department to coordinate and expand physical and mental health support services for students. We are located on the second floor of the new P-building on the Gunn campus. Find us in P-231.
A safe, supportive on-campus space
Brief on-campus therapy for students
Students can access support for depression, grief, self-esteem, family life, stress, dating violence, sexual identity, and health needs
Referrals to further resources both on and off campus
One-on-one, group, and large-scale interventions
Virtual Support
During distance learning, we want you to be able to continue asking for support and interacting with us at the virtual wellness center! Visit us there to learn about crisis resources, coping skills, requesting drop-in or ongoing support, and much more!
Students can speak with a Wellness and Counseling Team Member by filling out this form. Our staff will respond as soon as possible. Requests submitted outside of school hours will not be checked until the next school day. We are also available by email and Schoology on regularly scheduled school days Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm.
Note: If you are concerned about the immediate health and safety of yourself and someone else, please call 911.
We're also excited to offer real-time drop in hours!
Mondays 9am-10am
Tuesday-Thursday 11am-12pm
During those times, Wellness staff will be available on Zoom for students to drop in. They will be able to check in with a therapist in real time. Students will enter the Zoom waiting room, be admitted to the meeting one at a time with the staff person, and will then be connected with a therapist to meet privately.
Visit thisZoom link to drop in and speak to someone!
Please use one of the following crisis resources if you need immediate help:
Call 911 and request a C.I.T. (crisis intervention team) trained officer to assist you.
Crisis Text Line: text "home" to 741-741.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.
Bill Wilson Youth Hotline (24-hour Suicide & Crisis Line): 408-850-6125.
Genavae has been serving students at Gunn for over three years. Her passion for and expertise in mental health is seen through her work managing operations at the wellness center and coordinating care for Gunn students.
My favorite form of self-care is taking naps!!! Just stepping away from everything and everyone and shutting down peacefully for a while
I am from South San Jose, born and raised, and I take a lot of pride in being from the Bay Area! I appreciate that there are so many different cultures represented in my neighborhood and that there is always something fun to do/new to try! 🙂
I have always wanted to live in Spain, but I think realistically, I would like to live in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, or a Barbados! I love island culture and being near the beach! 🙂
Rosie Castillo-Cabanas, She/Her
Wellness Outreach Specialist
Rosie is in her second year serving students at Gunn. As an outreach worker, she brings awareness to issues of mental health and coordinates event to promote the health and wellbeing of all students.
My favorite form of self-care is spending time with family! It is time that fills me with genuine happiness and something I have always seen as important. Our favorite thing to do is karaoke so I think that's another great form of self-care.
I was born and raised in San Jose. I love being from San Jose because of all the great food, people, and having my family close
If I could have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be ice cream! My main weakness is vanilla milkshakes from Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone- I think they're magic!
Michelle Ramos, She/Her
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Cassy Site Supervisor
Michelle is in her seventh year serving students at Gunn. She manages the CASSY team at Gunn and brings years of experience in student mental health to ensure our students are receiving the best care!
My favorite forms of self-care are running and walking my huskies!
I'm originally from Texas-I love the wildflower fields and the Texas sunset
If I could live anywhere else in the world it would be Valencia, Spain. It is where my father's side of the family originates from.
Emily Rubens, She/Her
APCC/ASW
CASSY Therapist
Emily is in her second year providing therapeutic services for Gunn students. She provides direct care to students through drop-in and long term therapy and helps students be successful through creating a safe space and allowing them to develop their own insights and solutions.
I would be okay with living anywhere else in the world as long as I'm near a beach!
If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life it would have to be chocolate. I could survive if I only ever had access to chocolate. Hopefully I'll never have to choose!
If I could meet a fictional character, it would have to be Michael Scott or Shrek!
Susie Pollard, She/Her
AMFT
CASSY Therapist
Susie is joining us at Gunn for the first time this year! We are so excited for her to be a part of the team and hit the ground running supporting all our students!
My favorite form of self-care is spending time with my dog. She is a sweetheart and never fails to make me smile.
I grew up in Mountain View but lived out of the area for several years. I'm glad to be back because I can be close to my family and enjoy diverse cultures!
One of the places I'd love to explore is Switzerland so I can take in the breathtaking views of the Alps. Plus it never hurts to try new cheeses and chocolate.
Yulinglong (Lynne) Li, She/Her
APCC
AACI Therapist
Lynne comes to us for the second year from Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). She brings passion and cultural understanding to the students she provides therapy and services for in Mandarin and English.
My favorite form of self-care is playing the guitar.
I was born and raised in China and moved to the US 7 years ago. Things that I love the most in my home is the food there, especially breakfast! loll
I would like to choose cinnamon roll if I can only eat one dessert for the rest of my life.
Dr. David Vincent Braitman, He/Him
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow
My favorite form of self-care is hiking in the mountains
I previously lived in New Mexico and moved to the Bay for my child and adolescent psychiatry training.
If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be Oreo cheesecake with a sea salt caramel sauce!
One on one counseling is provided through a district partnership with CASSY. CASSY is a nonprofit agency that partners with schools to provide professional mental health services to students in their academic setting. Our therapists are compassionate, extremely competent and conveniently located right on campus. All services are free to the student and their parents.
Our CASSY therapists are:
Michelle Ramos
Emily Rubens
For a detailed video about CASSY services, please click here!
Founded in 1973, AACI is one of the largest community-based organizations advocating for and serving the marginalized and vulnerable ethnic communities in Santa Clara County. Their mission is to strengthen the hope and resilience of our community members by improving their health, mental health and well-being.
Find more information by visiting them at aaci.org
Students, parents, or staff can email Wellness Center staff at gunnwellnessteam@pausd.org to get more information about referrals. Note: If you are concerned about a student's immediate safety, please call 911.
The following document is a reference guide you may use when you feel like your child may be facing a potential mental health emergency. Below are some safety risk indicators, modified for the distance learning environment, that may lead to major warning signs.
As you use this tool, please look for patterns and an accumulation of symptoms and/or behaviors, in order to figure out best next steps for your child and family. If you believe that your child is an imminent threat to themselves or others, please call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room.
Supporting a friend through crisis and other distress can be challenging and overwhelming when you don't know what to do, who to reach out, or what to say. The Student Safety Guide will hopefully help you and your friends and peers support each other in difficult situations!
CalSCHLS is the oldest (since 1999), largest, most comprehensive state effort in the nation to provide local school-communities with their own data on School Climate, social-emotional and mental Health, and Learning supports and engagement through a Survey system sponsored by the California Department of Education. Henry M. Gunn's Summary Reports:
