Comfortable seating areas in the Wellness Room at Jemez Valley High School gives students a place to step away from class, reset, and refocus during the school day. Photo courtesy Jemez Valley Public Schools.
Wall art, tables, and seating create space for reflection in the Wellness Room at Jemez Valley High School, which is designed to support student self-regulation and stress management during the school day. Photo courtesy Jemez Valley Public Schools.
JVHS NEWS RELEASE
Six months after opening in October, Jemez Valley High School is marking early success with its Wellness Room, which has provided more than 100 students with a dedicated space to pause, regroup and manage their mental health during the school day.
Supported by Braintree and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico, the Wellness Room provides access to free, school-based mental health support for the high school’s 350 students.
Since opening, school staff report early signs of positive impact including:
Students typically return to class within about 10 minutes after using the Wellness Room
Teachers report students returning calmer, more focused, and ready to participate
School staff note increased use of coping tools during the school day
“The students enter this carefully curated room that is staffed by trained personnel where they then self-regulate for 10 minutes before returning to class where they may successfully participate in the educational process,” said Autumn Trujillo, RN, BSN, school nurse at Jemez Valley Public Schools.
The space helps students build self‑regulation skills they can use in and out of the classroom. The room features:
Calming spaces: Comfortable seating and quiet features to help students relax
Regulation tools: Simple items such as weighted blankets or fidgets to manage stress
Coping resources: Easy‑to‑use cards that guide breathing and calming techniques
Creative activities: Art and hands‑on activities such as coloring or clay to help students reset
“Wellness Rooms teach students easy, practical ways to recognize emotions and manage stress now and in the future. Teaching children healthy self-regulation skills when they are young is the best way to get upstream and support long-term mental health,” said Tami Curtis, creator of the model and founder of Braintree, which trains educators and administrators’ well-being through the Wellness Room model.
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico is funding supplies and resources for the Wellness Room.
“Parents often juggle work, childcare and other responsibilities, which can make it harder to access care,” said Alicia Kormick, children’s services liaison with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico. “Providing mental health support inside the school helps remove barriers so students can get help faster and their needs can be addressed right away.”
Schools can be the primary access point for youth mental health care in rural communities, according to the New Mexico Alliance for School‑Based Health Care.
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