Bringing Wellness to Students Where They Need it Most
Sep 24, 2026
The adolescent years are filled with growth, discovery, and opportunity, but can also bring significant challenges. Academic pressures, changing relationships, social media, anxiety, depression, substance use concerns, and every-day stress can feel overwhelming for many students. The support a young person receives during these formative years can have a lasting impact on their well-being, which is why access to timely, effective care matters so much.
At Stillwater Area High School, that support is available where students need it most: right at school in a dedicated space called “The Wellness Center”. Through a collaborative partnership between FamilyMeans, Youth Service Bureau (YSB), and the Stillwater Area School District, students have access to both mental health counseling and chemical health counseling. Creating a space where seeking support is accessible, normalized, and encouraged is an important goal for each organization.
For many families, accessing behavioral health services can be difficult. Transportation, scheduling conflicts, long wait times, and the demands of busy family lives can all create barriers to getting support. By offering services directly within the school setting, students can connect with professionals in a familiar environment without the added challenges that often prevent them from receiving care. The result is earlier intervention, greater accessibility, and help that is available when concerns first arise rather than after they have grown into larger problems.
The partnership works because each organization brings a unique experience to the table. Our FamilyMeans therapists provide school-based mental health counseling, supporting students and families through concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, relationship challenges, and emotional well-being. Therapists work with students individually and alongside families to help build resilience, healthy coping skills, and strong support systems.
Alongside those services, YSB provides chemical health counseling and prevention-focused support to help students navigate concerns related to substance use and make healthy, informed choices. Their work focuses on equipping young people and families with the skills and resources they need to be successful at home, in school, and throughout the community.
What makes this partnership especially powerful is that it recognizes wellness as interconnected. Mental health challenges and substance use concerns rarely exist in isolation. A student struggling with anxiety may turn to unhealthy coping strategies. A student experiencing substance use issues may also be dealing with stress, trauma, or depression. By bringing mental health and chemical health services together in one location, students can access comprehensive support that addresses the whole person rather than a single concern.
Collaboration is at the heart of the Wellness Center’s success. FamilyMeans and Youth Service Bureau staff work closely with Stillwater Area High School administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, and other support staff help identify needs and connect students and families with appropriate services. This team-based approach allows concerns to be recognized early and addressed quickly, ensuring students receive coordinated support from the people who know and care about them most.
This partnership is also proof to what can happen when schools and community organizations work together around a shared goal. Stillwater Area High School provides a trusted and welcoming environment. FamilyMeans contributes mental health expertise and therapeutic support. YSB brings specialized chemical health services and prevention resources. Together, a network of care that surrounds students with the support they need to navigate one of the most important stages of life has been created.
The Wellness Center is more than a collection of services. It is an investment in healthy futures. By removing barriers and bringing care directly to students, this partnership helps ensure that young people have access to guidance, encouragement, and professional support during the moments when it can make the greatest difference. Because when a community comes together around the wellbeing of its youth, students are empowered not just to overcome challenges, but to thrive.
Wellness Center Staff (L to R): Moe Sanderson. MA, FamilyMeans Mental Health Therapist | Tom Wyatt-Yerka, CPRS, Youth Service Bureau Counselor | Nikki Stuhr, LADC, Youth Service Bureau Counselor | Kari Kelcher, LMFT, FamilyMeans Mental Health Therapist | (Not Pictured) Emma Smidt, FamilyMeans Intern
If you are interested in learning more about our School-Based Mental Health services, please visit https://www.familymeans.org/school-based-mental-health.html or call us at 651-789-4840.
Take a tour of the Wellness Center! Click Here