Project Cal-STOP

Funded by the STOP (Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing) School Violence grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Department of Education (CDE) launched Project Cal-STOP to provide violence prevention and mental health trainings to students and staff in California schools.

To help schools create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school climate, Project Cal-STOP offers the following trainings and resources at no cost to schools and districts:

• Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) Know the Signs programs – for students in grade 6 and up
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On Campus High School Club training and supports – for high school students
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) trainings and instructor certifications – for staff 

Sandy Hook Promise’s Know the Signs Programs

SHP offers two Know the Signs programs Start With Hello and Say Something under Project Cal-STOP that teach secondary students and school staff how to recognize the signs, intervene and get help for individuals who may be at-risk of hurting themselves or others.

Start With Hello trains and empowers middle and high school students on how to recognize social isolation within their classroom and school, reach out and help, and Start With Hello. Training is 45 minutes and is delivered virtual live.

Say Something trains and empowers middle and high school students on how to look for warning signs and threats—especially in social media—to act immediately and take it seriously, and Say Something to a trusted adult. Training is 45 minutes and is delivered virtual live.

SAVE Promise Club is a student-led club that allows students to practice the lessons learned from Start With Hello and Say Something and organize activities on campus that promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive climate. Virtual trainings for club advisors and students provided. Schools will also receive activity guide, event announcements, and eligible to apply for $500 stipends to support club activities.  

Research indicates that students who received these trainings, compared to the control group, had more positive attitudes towards school, were more willing to report signs of mental distress and threats, and reported more positive relationships with trusted adults and peer relationships.

Between 2019-22:

• Over 31,000 students from 78 schools participated in Start With Hello
• Over 36,000 students from 58 schools participated in Say Something
• Eighty-five new SAVE Promise Clubs were established, making a total of 485 in
  California

NAMI On Campus High School Club

NAMI On Campus High School Clubs are student-led clubs intended to increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and promote wellness through club activities and events.

With support from Project Cal-STOP, NAMI California provides the following supports and resources to help students set up and sustain their clubs:

• Monthly virtual trainings and on-going club support
• Connection to local NAMI affiliate
• Activity guides, manuals, and quarterly office hours
• $500 stipends to fund club activities

Since 2014, students from over 96 high schools were trained to set up their NAMI On Campus High School Club.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

YMHFA teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to a school-age child or youth experiencing emotional distress, showing signs of a mental illness, or in a crisis; and connect them with the appropriate care. This training is designed for adults who work with school-age children or youth that do not have a mental health background, including teachers, administrators, and all classified staff. YMHFA trainings will be delivered virtually in two-hour self paced and four-hour instructor-led instruction.  

YMHFA supports the Local Control and Accountability Plan State Priority 5 (Student Engagement) and Priority 6 (School Climate); and meets the training requirements of CDE’s Model Suicide Prevention Policy.

Since 2014, the CDE has provided YMHFA trainings to over 9,000 school and district staff. To host a training, email YMHFA@cde.ca.gov.