Member Spotlight: Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky Mental Health Initiative A Big Success

When Blue Shield of California launched the BlueSky initiative last year, the goal was to figure out ways to boost mental health support for middle- and high-school students in California. Little did we know that the world – and our schools – would be vastly affected by a global pandemic and national protests about racial justice. Through it all, BlueSky’s mental health specialists – provided by the nonprofit group Wellness Together – didn’t miss a beat.

They maintained a robust schedule of counseling sessions with teens, continuing to offer solace and guidance to hundreds of students, which became even more important after the virus emerged and when Black Lives Matter rallies were taking place from coast to coast. Battling through a global pandemic and school closures, the first year of the program was nothing short of a success – with more than 3,800 counseling sessions recorded and over 600 referrals made. Blue Shield says year two will be even better. Read more>>