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PUSD Mobilizes Major Mental Health Response for Students and Staff

District to deploy over 50 counselors as students return to classrooms following Eaton Fire devastation

Published on Friday, January 17, 2025 | 5:46 am
 

Dr. Julie Reynoso, who oversees Pasadena Unified School District’s Student Wellness and Support Services, speaks to the press during a Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 press conference. [KLRN screenshot]
The Pasadena Unified School District is launching a comprehensive mental health support system as it prepares to reopen schools affected by the devastating Eaton Fire gradually. The District announced plans to deploy more than 50 licensed clinical social workers and counselors to assist traumatized students and staff members.

“The level of trauma is going to be really significant and there will be triggers,” said Dr. Julianne Reynoso, who oversees the District’s Student Wellness and Support Services.

“Making sure that we are trauma ready, not just in forms, we’ll make a difference in how we come back as a unified school District.”

The Los Angeles County Office of Education and teams from schools in Marin County will provide the additional mental health professionals, who will be stationed at campuses to work with both students and staff. The support team will arrive equipped with detailed scripts and resources to address the community’s needs.

The District is implementing a multi-tiered systems of support framework, acknowledging that over 10,000 of Pasadena Unified School District’s 14,000 students were evacuated from their homes during the fire.

Approximately 2,500 students still live inside inaccessible zones, with around 1,400 residing in areas that suffered severe fire damage.

“We want to make sure that we’re mindful that when everyone is returning to school, the level of trauma is going to be really significant,” Reynoso emphasized. She noted that while the District has existing mental health services deployed, those staff members have also been personally impacted by the disaster.

The mental health response is part of Pasadena Unified School District’s broader recovery plan focused on reopening schools safely, restoring community connections, and rebuilding damaged facilities.

District officials stressed that emotional support will be an ongoing priority, not just during the initial return to classrooms.

“Being responsive is critical and that is what we’re doing,” Reynoso said. “We are taking our time to be thoughtful and have meaning behind in only eight days as we keep saying, so much has happened for this readiness to occur.”

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