Shelley Bustamante, director of Carlmont’s Teen Wellness Center and coordinator of Students Offering Support (SOS), keeps a wall of letters and photos from students she has helped. “SOS has saved my life. Thank you so much for what you’ve done. You helped me get through a tough time. SOS has made me choose to become a therapist,” she said. “Kids take the time to write, which I value because they are overextended.”
Nine counselors serve about 280 students at Carlmont High School, yet demand for mental health support continues to grow. To meet needs, Carlmont has expanded its approach to student well-being.
The school now offers traditional counseling, on-campus licensed therapists, and a student-led peer program, SOS. But some students remain wary of mandatory reporting, and scheduling conflicts can hinder access. These obstacles challenge the district’s ability to reach every student.
Academic stress is a chief concern at the Teen Wellness Center, said Lucia Rodriguez, SOS president. “Usually, it’s a lot of academic stress, especially during school,” she noted. “That’s one of the biggest factors.”
The pressure spikes during peak periods like college application deadlines. Bustamante, who has worked at Carlmont for 30 years, described seasonal patterns and rising stress among seniors and juniors.
“College apps are around this time. Many seniors feel overwhelmed, and juniors worry that this is their most important year,” she said.
Bustamante has witnessed students pushed to dangerous limits. “I have to hospitalize kids because they’re overextended—AP classes, activities, internships, jobs. They’re not doing it because they want to; they’re doing it because they feel they have to,” she said. She attributes part of this to cultural expectations that prioritize admissions over well-being.
“It’s not what college you go to, it’s what you do there and what you bring to the table,” Bustamante added.
Access and response times
Carlmont’s counseling department handles crises, academic registrations, and non-crisis concerns such as relationship issues. Theresa Torres, head academic counselor, said counselors are always available for crises. For non-crisis cases, students typically receive appointments within a week. No-show rates are relatively high but do not drastically affect capacity. “We’re more of a drop-in center. We’re very flexible,” Torres said.
The wellness center adds another layer of support with licensed therapists during school hours. Rodriguez noted that many students are unaware of this resource. “Anyone can just come in and talk to a therapist,” she said.
A structured referral system guides students to therapists. Bustamante explained, “Counselors fill out a form online describing the student and their needs, then we match them with therapists who fit on their caseload and availability.”
Obstacles to help
Theresa Torres highlighted a key hurdle: students often need to focus on school during school hours, leaving little time to process personal issues. “Students need to focus on school while at school, and talking about issues can make it harder to regroup,” she said.
Bustamante emphasized students’ rights, noting that minors over 12 can consent to mental health treatment without parental permission under Assembly Bill AB 665. Fear also plays a role. Rodriguez said confidentiality concerns can deter some students from seeking peer support.
Even with SOS’s confidentiality policies, campus gossip remains a risk. Rodriguez described strict guidelines: “What’s said in SOS stays in SOS. If violations occur, we may remove the person from the program.”
Student peer support
SOS members provide frontline peer support, mediating conflicts and offering a listening ear during drop-in hours. Rodriguez said they are trained by Bustamante to cultivate trust among students. They tackle difficult topics, including abusive relationships, which can be emotionally taxing for volunteers.
“Hearing other stories can be hard, especially when I’m dealing with my own issues,” Rodriguez admitted. Still, she and her peers strive to maintain a safe, nonjudgmental space where students can share openly.
The impact of these efforts
Bustamante points to Carlmont’s suicide prevention record as evidence of the program’s impact. “In 30 years, we’ve had one student who died by suicide. If SOS had been in place then, that student might still be alive,” she reflected.
The Say Something campaign empowers students to intervene when a peer is in crisis. Bustamante said peer reporting can save lives: “They can report anonymously, come to the wellness center, and those students are heroes. Some have prevented harm to themselves or others by speaking up.”
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