The Wellness Checkups

Our Checkups are based on Columbia University's Teen Screen program which screens middle and high school students for suicide risk, depression, substance abuse and other emotional health challenges. After their online Checkup, students meet individually with clinicians or counselors. Then when requested, case managers work with youth and their families to help them access support.

Grades 7-12 in Nevada County.

Adolescence is a critical time of growth .

We provide initial prevention support to youth offering them mental health awareness, options and connections to resources.

Where are the What’s Up Wellness Checkups?

Our Checkups are currently offered at…

  • Bitney Prep Charter High School

  • Nevada Union High School

  • Silver Springs High School

  • North Point Academy

  • Ghidotti Early College High School

  • Bear River High School

  • Forest Charter School

  • Truckee High School

  • North Tahoe High School

  • Sierra Continuation High School

Don’t see your school listed? Contact us!

How can I be sure my student gets screened?

Parent consent forms are required for screening, and should be received by families through school outreach and on-line enrollment packets with downloadable versions available below. We encourage students to return consents to the front desk or their school counselor if they have not been received through the school. We accept consents through the school year.

How does it work?

What’s Up Wellness Checkups include a one-time meeting with students that can take between 15 to 45 minutes during the school day. All Checkups begin with a computerized questionnaire then students receive a follow-up interview with What’s Up staff to provide support, and if needed, referrals to resources and services.

For those students who need further support, our staff notify parents and work to help families identify services that will best meet their teens needs. We also provide time limited case-management services to ensure a successful treatment connection, as well as access to our in-school groups as an added resource for students.

My child seems fine, why should I bother?

Your teen can serve as a role model for their friends. After the screen, they may be able to let friends know about the screening process and share their experience, helping to normalize the screen for all teens. The reality is, the more students we screen, the more likely we are able to continue to bring this service to our schools, in turn finding the students who truly need help.

How to get screened


To request a Checkup, download and fill out the consent forms linked to your school or district and contact us or your school counselor. Lyman Gilmore Middle School consent forms coming soon.

You might be wondering…

  • The Wellness Checkup does NOT diagnose and the program is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical companies. We refer students to a variety of supportive resources depending on family and student requests/needs. This can include therapists, support groups, school counselors, nutritionists, physicians and psychologists.

  • We hold to strict school and state confidentiality standards. We are not affiliated with the schools, although we have a cooperative agreement to be on campus screening. We do not share your teen’s screening results with any school staff without written parental consent.

  • If your teen is already getting help, the screen can support those services by offering a current snapshot of their emotional health that with parental permission can be given to their treatment provider. Again, we encourage all youth to get screened, as it normalizes the importance of mental health checkups. Just as we check annually for vision and hearing, we can send the message that it is equally as critical to check on emotional health.

  • Your teen can serve as a role model for their friends. After the screen, they may be able to let a struggling friend know that the screening process exists. They may share their experiences with others helping to normalize the screen for all teens. The reality is, the more students we screen, the more likely we are able to continue to bring this service to our schools, in turn finding the students who truly need help.

What are students saying about the Wellness Checkups?

"I thought it was good and is a good way to check in with kids who are having a hard time."

"I thought it was a good self-check up to be aware of how I've been feeling recently."

"Beneficial for teens mental health and stability."

"I thought it was good and is a good way to check in with kids who are having a hard time." "I thought it was a good self-check up to be aware of how I've been feeling recently." "Beneficial for teens mental health and stability."

"I thought it was a very good way to check in with yourself and how you were doing."

"The interview did a good job to make sure I am doing well."

"Very thorough."

"I thought it was a very good way to check in with yourself and how you were doing." "The interview did a good job to make sure I am doing well." "Very thorough."

"There was a lot of questions and i thought it was a good way for students to open up if they needed to."

"Nice reflection period."

"There was a lot of questions and i thought it was a good way for students to open up if they needed to." "Nice reflection period."

“This is a great tool to check in with our kids. It gave us an opportunity to have an open and candid talk about the stress my daughter was experiencing due to being at a new school, new teachers, distance learning etc. The follow up after the mental health wellness checkup was very helpful!"

— EL, local business owner & NU 9th grade parent

Still have a question?

Contact us by clicking the button or calling 530-268-5854

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