MENDING MATTERS

Our goals at Mending Matters include:
1. Increasing access to mental health services for young people.
2. Providing relevant programs by connecting with and responding to youth culture.
3. Increasing our student's sense of self-efficacy and empowerment through social emotional learning.
4. Providing safe people and environments that promote our student's growth and healing.
5. Leaving a lasting positive impact on our school campuses.

In order to achieve our goals, Mending Matters employs the following strategies:
Strategy 1: Employ customized therapeutic interventions for every student and every campus based on identified needs.
We come onto our school campuses as a blank slate ready to learn from those we serve about what they need. We prioritize building relationships with our school staff and implementing interventions based on what they identify as the needs of their schools, rather than based on a particular grant or organizational objective. Similarly, we offer our therapists the flexibility to customize interventions toward client-identified goals and barriers and the permission to alter or discontinue an intervention when it is no longer beneficial to our students.

Strategy 2: Create and sustain an organizational culture that facilitates listening and responsiveness to youth culture.
We at Mending Matters believe that adults who care deeply about youth are the best facilitators for their mending. From our hiring process to our clinical supervision to our team culture, we prioritize conversations and actions as a team that promote client-directed service. Through this, we believe our students will experience greater empowerment and will lead to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that respect self and others.

Strategy 3: Increase effectiveness of therapeutic interactions through support of our clinicians' development and training.
Adolescents tend to connect more with adults who start from a place of genuineness. Because of this, we know that therapeutic interactions increase when our therapists feel supported. We prioritize our clinicians' development through regular training and supervision customized to their particular styles and interests.

Strategy 4: Promote trauma-informed and welcoming learning environments for young people.
We practice trauma-informed principles throughout every aspect of our organization. Whether it's creating an aesthetically calming, inviting space on a campus or advocating for our clients, we understand that building a safe environment for individuals impacted by trauma requires attention to the details.

Strategy 5: Increase positive interactions on our school campuses by offering alternatives to suspension, mediation, and advocacy for therapeutic support.
Our schools and students know that positive interactions will only increase if we learn more about student motivation and goals. We offer alternative to suspension programs, mediation, and therapeutic support to promote pro-social and strengths-based interactions with students, rather than using discipline methods only to address interpersonal challenges.

Mending Matters possesses the following capabilities to meet our goals:

1. Therapists with demonstrated experience and dedicated passion to serve young people.

2. An organizational structure that possesses the adaptability to respond to the needs of schools and students.

3. The ability to build effective partnerships through communication and care.

4. Curriculum programs informed by research and best practices in addressing negative behavior, attendance, alcohol and drug use, conflict resolution, and adolescent development.

5. The collection of data and regular client feedback to continue informing our programs and practice.

Currently, Mending Matters serves 13 school sites throughout San Diego County.

In our years of service to schools in San Diego County, we had:
4, 297 referred students
592 student walk-ins
537 students received individual therapy
2, 968 students participated in our group programs
469 students received crisis support

Ultimately, we see our accomplishments in what our students and partners have said about us.

“Mending Matters have proven themselves to be completely student centered. They are quick to see any student we feel needs the support and care of a professional therapist. Always fully invested in the welfare of our students and, in my opinion, give their all while working with them. They have the ability to quickly assess and establish rapport with a wide variety of students in both individual and group settings. I have, on several occasions, placed students who were very leery of counseling in groups. In virtually every instance the students not only remain in the group but thrive and blossom" Guidance Counselor

“The staff and services provided through Mending Matters has not only been an anchor for some of our highest risk and most vulnerable students, but for our entire campus community. Many of the challenges and struggles that students bring to school with them prevent them from fully engaging in their academics. Mending Matters helps students develop the skills to cope and become more successful in all areas of their life, including the classroom. When issues arise in the community and spill onto campus, Mending Matters is already ready to help heal and restore peace."
Principal

"We were thrilled this past school year to be able to hire Mending Matters to be our onsite therapy provider. With their professionalism, flexibility and ability to work seamlessly with our school and students, we are able to provide critical services to our students in need. Hands down the best therapist I have ever worked with."
School Resource Coordinator

“Mending Matters is a chill group. Everyone talks about what they go through and what's on their minds. And it shows how everyone has their own problems, but overcomes them."
Male, 11th grade

“At the start of counseling, I was completely closed off to the idea of ever opening up to someone. It was extremely difficult to sit across someone I know nothing about and tell my situation. I walked away from my first meeting hanging onto the word 'hope.' I became more open to the idea of getting to know people and people getting to know me. I gained valuable techniques that helped me cope with the different situations I encountered. I was able to learn more about others and value myself. "
Female, 10th grade

“It may seem scary at first, but after awhile you start to look forward to it and feel like someone gets you."
Male, 9th grade