On Sept. 23, 2024, the mental health department of Woodbridge High proudly opened the Oasis, a dedicated mental health WellSpace that provides students and staff with a safe, welcoming place to relax and rejuvenate during the school day.

The Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) initiated the creation of the WellSpace. They closely collaborate with the counseling department to effectively manage the Oasis and ensure it meets the diverse needs of the school community.

According to CHOC, by the fall of 2023, the hospital had already opened upwards of 30 mental health spaces across 13 school districts in Orange County. This reflects a growing commitment to supporting student well-being in educational environments.

The mental health specialists, Franklin Belsey and Michelle Ballard, are predominantly managing the WellSpace along with other dedicated administrative staff on campus. Together, they are working diligently to provide students with a nurturing place to catch their breath and get into a state of mind in which they can learn better and thrive academically.

It is also a space dedicated to helping students learn essential social-emotional skills, such as how to effectively regulate their emotions in various situations.

Located in F202, the Oasis is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to all staff and students, allowing ample opportunity for everyone to benefit from this valuable resource. Students are able to walk in anytime before school, after school, during break and lunch.

However, during instructional time, students need to ask their teachers for permission and obtain a hall pass from the counseling office to go to the Oasis, ensuring that their time away from class is meaningful.

Additionally, campus mental health specialists are present at the Oasis for the safety and well-being of students. During the school day, these trained staff oversee anyone who comes into the wellness center and act as an extra layer of support, fostering a sense of security and trust.

The process of signing into the Oasis has also been made as uncomplicated as possible. All students have to do is sign in on an iPad near the door and press sign out when they are ready to leave.

“[The Oasis is] a place for students to go so that they can relax, calm themselves [and] regulate their emotions,” Ballard said, emphasizing the supportive nature of the space.

Every time a student signs into the WellSpace, they are given an allotted 15 minutes in the Oasis. Though the Oasis is intended to be a space for students to relieve stress and recharge, it is not meant to be a place for students to spend upwards of 20 minutes.

Students are only permitted to extend their time in the Oasis as long as it is done for genuine, well-considered reasons, reinforcing the intentional use of the space. 

This policy ensures that all students have a chance to use the facility throughout the day. However, if a student feels that they need more time to fully get back on track and regain their focus, they are allowed to sign in again.

Furthermore, the Oasis is not meant to be used as a place to study, get out of class or be late to class. Rather, community members can take a moment to catch their breath, calm feelings of stress or anxiety and converse with a trusted adult if needed.  

The general expectation for students at the Oasis is to maintain a quiet environment and to not disturb others. The room is specifically designed to be tranquil and soothing, creating a comfortable environment for all who enter.

Silence allows individuals to focus on their own emotions and fully work on what they need to process. If people are loud in the Oasis, it can create distractions and prevent others from feeling comfortable enough to engage in self-reflection and personal growth.

“It [is not] meant to be a place to socialize or hang out with their friends,” Belsey said.

“[It is] a space where students can reset through different ways,” counselor Natalie Greely said.

Some of the activities available to students include stretching on yoga mats, a gratitude wall where they can express their feelings, mindful coloring, fidget toys, a sound station for guided meditations, aromatherapy options and sand trays that allow for tactile engagement.

Woodbridge High is not the first school to have a dedicated mental health WellSpace. 

“We’re the fourth high school in Irvine and [a WellSpace is] also at multiple middle schools,” Belsey said.

Additionally, CHOC and OCDE took care of physically preparing the room to create an inviting atmosphere. 

“It’s all volunteers that put the furniture, put the plants, plug in the lights and hang the shelving,” Ballard said.

The WellSpace has been meticulously planned to be the perfect place for students to get into the right mindset for school. 

“It will give them a place to go where it’s dimly lit, there’s soft music playing, where they can just kind of get away from [every thing] and find peace,” Ballard said.

The ambiance of the WellSpace has also been carefully curated to enhance relaxation and comfort.

“There’s a professional interior designer who designs and comes up with the idea for [the Oasis],” Ballard said.

One of the features of the room meant to be calming is the design of the walls, which play an essential role in creating a soothing environment. Inside the Oasis, a calming wall mural depicts a serene landscape of a sun rising above the ocean, painted in colors that promote tranquility.

The choice of using blue inside the WellSpace was a decision made with much thought and research. According to Mental Health America, blue is often used in therapeutic settings as it represents relaxation and helps people unwind and focus on their inner feelings, making it an ideal color for promoting mental clarity and peace.

Furthermore, the space features a variety of flexible seating options and yoga mats, providing students with choices that suit their individual comfort needs.

Although the Oasis may not be a place for extensive conversation with other people, students are still able to interact with others through activities like the gratitude wall. Visitors are encouraged to leave messages about anything they are grateful for on the wall, fostering a sense of community and appreciation that others can add to.

In the near future, the mental health department is also planning on hosting a multitude of wellness events in the Oasis. Not long ago, a psychologist from CHOC came and hosted a seminar for parents called Parenting Power Hour, further extending the reach of mental health awareness within the community.

Paving the way for greater awareness, the Oasis is one step closer to fulfilling school-wide initiatives to support the emotional and mental health of students on campus. By creating this safe space, students are encouraged to acknowledge their mental-emotional needs, promoting a culture of understanding and support that helps to normalize the importance of mental health.