Center for Applied Research Solutions - CARS

Two weeks left to apply to the GSSLI Academy!

At our recent GSSLI Open House, we asked school leaders and educators what” grief-sensitive school leadership” means to them. This response stuck with us:

“Grief-Sensitive School Leadership, for me means taking account of the impacts of grief and trauma on students and staff, how to live and move through the process in a 'healthier' way.”

Those impacts show up in more ways than we often name. Grief in schools extends far beyond death–it shows up as loss of community, safety, relationship and more. And school leaders are carrying it too, even as they keep showing up for their school community. Schools need space and permission to talk about grief, not just a response plan for when a crisis hits.

And that’s the work the GSSLI Academy is here to support.

The GSSLI Academy is a nine-month program (September 2026 - June 2027) that combines virtual learning sessions, grief leadership coaching, a capstone project, and an in-person Academy convening culminating the year’s learning.

The Academy is for school site or systems leaders who:
• Have decision-making, culture impact, or influence power at your school or system (e.g., teacher leaders, school counselors, assistant principals, principals, county or district initiative directors, SEL directors, restorative justice administrators, Community Schools managers, Health & Wellness Center staff)
• Lead at a K-12 public or parochial school
• Bonus if you're connected to the Coalition for Grieving Students, NACG, the School Crisis Recovery & Renewal project, or a Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative (GSSI) site

If this sounds like you, we'd love to see your application. Know someone who might be a fit? Share this with them! The GSSLI Academy is designed to help school leaders develop grief literacy and lead their communities through loss with compassion and care.

Learn more about GSSLI and the Academy at our August 25th Open House at 1pm PT / 4pm ET: bit.ly/gssli-open-house

Applications close Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Apply today: bit.ly/gssli-academy-app-2026

Are you someone who supports work in behavioral health, prevention, or student and staff wellbeing, and looking for a space to connect with peers doing the same?

Check out the CARS Learning Exchange, a free, secure online community where you can connect, collaborate, and learn with peers nationwide. Next Thursday, we're hosting a virtual open house, and you're invited!

Join us August 27, 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET to meet some of the CARS team, get a tour of the platform, and hear what's ahead. It's also your chance to talk directly to us: bring your ideas, your questions, your wish list. The Learning Exchange is a space we want to build alongside you.

One quick note: since we're hosting live on the platform, you'll need a free account to join us. It's quick and easy.

Sign up today, and we'll see you on the 27th!
bit.ly/cars-learning-exchange

Grief doesn't wait for the right training to be in place — but school leaders can be ready for it.

That's the idea behind the Grief-Sensitive Schools Leadership Initiative (GSSLI) Academy, launching this fall in partnership with National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, and the New York Life Insurance Company Foundation.

This nine - month program is built for school site and systems leaders — principals, counselors, SEL directors, restorative justice administrators, and district initiative leads — who want to build real grief literacy into their leadership practice, not just react when loss shows up.

Academy members get:
• Monthly learning with subject matter experts and a dedicated mentor coach
• A capstone project (with a $1,000 stipend) that gives back to their own community
• A GSSLI Academy Certificate and 12 Continuing Education Hours
• A lasting network of fellow grief-sensitive leaders

As one of our community members shared, this work "has not only given me the tools to serve in my position more effectively, but it has also taught me skills to manage and regulate my reactions."

Applications are open through September 1, 2026.

Learn more and apply: bit.ly/gssli-academy-app-2026

How can schools become places where grief is acknowledged—not avoided?

When loss touches a school community, not every experience of grief is visible. Racialized, collective, ambiguous, and other forms of disenfranchised grief often go unrecognized, leaving students, educators, and families to carry those experiences alone.

Join the Grief-Sensitive Schools Leadership Initiative (GSSLI) for our upcoming virtual open house, “From Disenfranchised Grief to Collective Care,” on July 30, 2026, from 10:00–11:00 a.m. PT.

Together, we'll explore how healing-centered, culturally responsive, and equity-focused leadership can help create school communities where grief is met with compassion, connection, and care.

Whether you're a school or district leader, educator, counselor, or community partner, you'll learn more about GSSLI, connect with others committed to cultivating grief-sensitive schools, and discover how collective care can strengthen resilience across your community.

Register today:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Grief-Sensitive Schools Leadership Initiative - Virtual Open House!. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Join us in reimagining schools as communities where grief is recognized; dignity is upheld, and healing is woven into the fabric of educational leadership. Schools are uniquely positioned to foster supportive environments where students, families, educators, and staff can experience belonging and co...

📣 Big News!

We're excited to celebrate this important milestone for youth mental health in California.

With the signing of AB 2003, California is taking a significant step toward strengthening su***de prevention by creating a free, statewide online training program to equip K–12 school staff, parents, guardians, and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to recognize warning signs and respond with confidence and care.

We're especially proud that we will partner with UCAAN to develop this evidence-based training. Together, we'll help translate research into practical, accessible learning that supports the adults who play such an important role in the lives of young people.

This work reflects CARS' commitment to advancing prevention, strengthening the behavioral health workforce, and ensuring schools and communities have the tools they need to foster safe, supportive environments where every young person can thrive.

We're grateful to everyone whose leadership and advocacy helped make this possible, and we look forward to contributing to this important statewide effort.

Commission for Behavioral Health

When loss enters a school community, leaders are often expected to know what to do next.

How do you support grieving students? How do you care for staff while they are also caring for others? How do you help a school community move through crisis, recovery, and what comes after?

In partnership with the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement and the New York Life Insurance Company Foundation, the Grief-Sensitive Schools Leadership Initiative (GSSLI) is a new national community that equips school and district leaders with the knowledge, tools, and peer support needed to lead through grief and loss with confidence and compassion.

GSSLI provides no-cost access to advanced learning, practical resources, and a national network of grief and school leadership experts, including:

• State and county education leaders
• District leaders and initiative directors
• Principals, vice principals, and deans
• Counselors, coaches, and social workers
• Teacher leaders and other school-based leaders

Leading a school community through grief is complex. No school leader should have to navigate this work alone.

Lead with empathy. Respond with expertise.

Stay connected for upcoming content, resources, and programming: bit.ly/grief-sensitive-leaders

The Commission and more than 50 behavioral health organizations across California are urging state leaders to reject the proposal to use over 30% of Proposition 1’s Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) funds to backfill General Fund obligations.

This proposal:

❌ Conflicts with voter intent.
❌ Deepens already-reduced prevention funding.
❌ Appears inconsistent with the BHSA’s non-supplantation language.
❌ Undermines BHSA’s workforce commitments for priority populations.
❌ Uses BHSA funds to pay for existing state obligations.
❌ Includes proposed offsets that are a stretch under the BHSA.

We urge the Legislature to reject the General Fund offset and set clear guardrails to ensure BHSA funds stay focused on expanding services, strengthening prevention, and supporting Californians with the highest behavioral health needs.

Read our coalition letter:https://bhsoac.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Coalition-Letter_Advocacy-Budget-Cuts-20260608-v2.pdf

📣 📣 THERE'S STILL TIME! 📣 📣

We're looking for young people in Sonoma County who've been arrested, on probation, or in detention — and the families who support them — to share their experiences in a CONFIDENTIAL focus group.

Who Can Join:
- Young people between 12 and 25 years who have been arrested, been on probation, or placed in detention
- Parents, caregivers, or family members of youth who have been arrested, been on probation, or placed in detention

When and Where:
Focus groups will be held NEXT TUESDAY-FRIDAY, JUNE 9-12, 2026. Visit the link below to share your availability and we will send days and times for focus groups.

What to Expect:
- Small confidential group conversations (about 90 minutes)
- Safe and respectful space
- You can skip questions or leave at any time

Know someone who qualifies? Tag them, share this post, or send them to: cars-rp.org/sonoma-county-focus-group

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!

We’re proud to spotlight our colleague Tina Rocha for her contribution to the 2026 NASW-CA Annual Conference theme: Resistance, Resilience & Resolve.

This theme reflects the strength and collective resilience social workers bring to advancing healing, equity, and change across communities—values that closely align with the work we do at CARS every day. We’re excited to see Tina’s voice and perspective helping shape this year’s conference!

Learn more: naswcanews.org/2026-theme-and-logo-competition/

October 16–17, 2026 • San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront