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CARES
Wellness Screener

Comprehensive Assessment of Resilience and Emotional Strengths

A validated Tier 1 universal wellness screener for California middle and high school students — measuring both mental health challenges and psychosocial strengths, because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

  • 34 validated items covering three evidence-based instruments
  • 1.2M+ California students in the normative and validation sample
  • Grades 6–12 middle and high school universal screening
  • Dual Focus measures both mental health risk and psychosocial strengths

About the Screener

What Is CARES?

CARES is a brief, 34-item Tier 1 universal screener co-developed by WestEd and the UCSB School Mental Health Collaborative. Using the Dual Factor Model, it measures both emotional distress and well-being — helping schools identify students who may be struggling despite appearing fine, as well as those with low distress but few positive strengths to draw on.

Building on the California Student Wellness Index (CSWI), CARES integrates three validated measures into a single efficient screener: the 10-item CSWI, a 12-item short form of the Social Emotional Health Survey–Secondary (SEHS-S), and the 5-item School Connectedness Scale. This combination creates a holistic Tier 1 tool suitable for universal screening of all students in grades 6–12.

What distinguishes CARES is its dual focus: it does not simply flag students in distress. It simultaneously assesses students' psychosocial strengths — their resilience, connectedness, and emotional competencies — alongside mental wellness risk indicators. This balanced approach reflects the covitality principle and supports schools in building nurturing, asset-rich environments.

Validation and normative data are drawn from more than 1.2 million California students in grades 6–12 through the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), making CARES one of the most extensively normed school wellness tools available. CARES can be administered one to three times per year, supporting ongoing identification of students who may need support.

  • 🔴 Mental Health Risk

    Identifies students experiencing emotional distress, enabling school care teams to determine who needs follow-up support, referral, or intervention.

  • 🟢 Psychosocial Strengths

    Measures resilience assets — belief in self, belief in others, emotional competence, and engaged living — to highlight what students have, not just what they lack.

Screener at a Glance

  • 📝

    Items 34 items covering three validated instruments

  • 🎓

    Grade Range Grades 6–12 (middle and high school)

  • ⏱️

    Administration Time ~15 minutes; 1–3 administrations per year supported

  • 💻

    Platform Online survey; any internet-connected device or modern browser

  • 📊

    Reporting Interactive dashboard — individual student results available same day

  • 🗺️

    Benchmarking Same CSWI & School Connectedness items used statewide in CHKS

  • 🔒

    Privacy Supports FERPA compliance via signed Data Privacy Agreement; WestEd in Student Data Privacy Consortium

  • 📐

    MTSS Alignment Tier 1 universal screener; informs multi-tiered supports

  • 🏛️

    Developed By WestEd and UCSB School Mental Health Collaborative

Research Citation: Furlong, M. J., O'Malley, M., Chan, M-K., Dowdy, E., Goodwin, J., Ortiz, A., Nylund-Gibson, K., & Hanson, T. (2025). Development, validation, and multitier applications with the California Student Wellness Index. Contemporary School Psychology, 29, 315-332. →

The Three Instruments

What CARES Measures

CARES integrates three established, validated measures into a single efficient screener(PDF). Each measure provides a distinct but complementary lens on student wellness.

  • 10 items · Mental Wellness Index

    California Student Wellness Index (CSWI)

    A 0–40 composite index assessing emotional well-being and mental health risk in California adolescents. The CSWI reliably identifies students experiencing distress who may need follow-up support or referral to school-based services.

    Developed and validated using California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) data from hundreds of thousands of students statewide.

    • Emotional distress
    • Mental health risk
    • Wellness index

  • 12 items · Psychosocial Strengths

    Social Emotional Health Survey–Secondary Short Form (SEHS)

    A 12-item short form of the full 36-item SEHS, measuring four covitality domains: Belief in Self (self-efficacy, self-awareness, persistence), Belief in Others (school, peer, and family support), Emotional Competence (empathy, emotional regulation, behavioral self-control), and Engaged Living (gratitude, zest, optimism).

    Validated across diverse California adolescent populations and internationally, with strong psychometric properties across gender, race/ethnicity, and grade level.

    • Covitality
    • Belief in self
    • Emotional competence
    • Engaged living

  • 5 items · School Belonging

    School Connectedness Scale (SC)

    A 5-item scale measuring students' sense of belonging at school — including relationships with peers, teachers, and the broader school community. School connectedness is a robust protective factor for mental health and academic engagement.

    Drawn from the CHKS Core Module and validated with large statewide California samples. A critical complement to both the wellness and strengths measures.

    • Belonging
    • Peer relationships
    • School climate

34

A complete Tier 1 wellness screener in 34 items

By integrating risk identification (CSWI), strengths assessment (SEHS), and school belonging (SC), CARES provides a holistic portrait of student wellness that no single instrument delivers alone. This combination identifies psychological challenges while highlighting wellness assets — a balanced, practical approach to supporting student success and resilience.

For Districts

What Does My District Need?

Implementing CARES is straightforward. Here is what your district needs to get started with universal wellness screening.

  • 💻 Technology

    • Internet-connected devices for participating students (computers, tablets, or smartphones)
    • A modern web browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge
    • District IT approval for the CARES online survey platform
    • A modern browser for data dashboard access
    • No software installation required for students or staff

  • 👥 Staff Roles

    • A designated district CARES coordinator — typically a school psychologist, MTSS coordinator, or wellness director
    • A school-level point of contact at each participating campus
    • Administrator support for scheduling and family communications
    • An optional IT contact for data privacy agreement review

  • 🔒 Data & Privacy

    • Execution of a Student Data Privacy Agreement with WestEd before data collection begins — contact cares@wested.org to request the template
    • WestEd is registered with the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC)
    • Parent/guardian notifications sent at least four weeks before the survey window (templates provided)
    • Grade 6: active consent — written parental permission required before students may participate
    • Grades 7–12: passive consent — parents notified in advance; students participate unless parents opt out
    • Review and approval through your district's data governance or legal process

  • 📅 Timeline & Planning

    • 4+ weeks before: execute data privacy agreement; send parent/guardian notifications (ideally during the first week of school)
    • 3–4 weeks before: onboarding call with WestEd; confirm survey window
    • 2–3 weeks before: brief staff; test survey link on school devices and network
    • 1 week before: send final family reminders; schedule classroom time; distribute proctor script
    • Survey window: students complete 34-item screener (~15 minutes per student; allow 20–25 minutes of class time)
    • 1–3 weeks after: review dashboard results with school care team; initiate student follow-up

Onboarding

District Onboarding Checklist

Track your district's readiness to administer CARES. WestEd staff will guide you through every step after you request information.

    1. Contact district IT to approve the CARES online survey platform for student use
    2. Review and sign the Student Data Privacy Agreement (provided by WestEd, CA Student Data Privacy Alliance, or District)
    3. Submit WestEd to your district's approved vendor list, if required
    4. Obtain parent/guardian notification templates and send notifications at least two weeks before the survey window
    5. Grade 6: distribute and collect active consent forms; compile list of authorized students
    6. Designate an internal data steward responsible for student data handling and access

    1. Identify and confirm the district CARES coordinator (school psychologist, MTSS lead, or wellness director)
    2. Designate a school-level point of contact at each participating campus
    3. Attend the WestEd onboarding orientation call (~60 minutes)
    4. Brief school principals, counselors, and staff on the purpose and timeline of CARES
    5. Send parent/guardian notification at least two weeks before the survey window

    1. Select your administration window(s) and confirm with WestEd (fall: Sept–Nov; spring: Feb–Apr)
    2. Identify which grade levels and schools will participate
    3. Schedule ~10 minutes of classroom or advisory time per student
    4. Confirm devices and internet access are available in selected classrooms
    5. Receive and pilot-test your CARES survey link from WestEd before launch
    6. Brief school-level contacts on administration procedures and the student introduction script

    1. Contact your district coordinator after onboarding to request access to the data dashboard from WestEd
    2. Attend a WestEd dashboard orientation session (~45 minutes)
    3. Determine which staff will have access and at what level (school vs. district views)
    4. Schedule a post-administration data review meeting with counselors, psychologists, and administrators
    5. Develop a plan for how CARES data will inform MTSS, LCAP, or behavioral health planning

Administration Guide

Roles, Responsibilities & Post-Survey Follow-Up

A successful CARES administration involves three coordinated roles. Each has distinct responsibilities before, during, and after the survey window.

  • 🏫 District Level

    District Coordinator

    • Primary contact with the WestEd CARES team
    • Confirms survey window and participating schools/grades
    • Identifies site coordinators and facilitates onboarding calls with the WestEd CARES team
    • Executes the Student Data Privacy Agreement
    • Manages parental consent process and opt-out lists
    • Assigns dashboard access levels (school vs. district view)
    • Monitors survey completion status across sites during the window
    • Schedules district-level data review after the survey

  • 📋 School Level

    School Site Coordinator

    • Day-to-day logistics at the school campus
    • Coordinates classroom scheduling and teacher briefing
    • Distributes consent forms (Grade 6) and notification letters (Grades 7–12)
    • Maintains the list of students not authorized to participate
    • Tests the school-specific survey link before the window opens
    • Monitors response counts and follows up with incomplete classrooms
    • Organizes school-level data review meeting after results are available

  • 🖥️ Classroom Level

    Teacher / Proctor

    • Administers the survey directly to students
    • Reads the student introduction script aloud before opening the link
    • Ensures non-participating students have a quiet alternate activity
    • Confirms each student enters their student ID when prompted
    • Circulates to assist with technology — does not interpret survey items
    • Connects distressed students with school counselor or psychologist
    • Notifies school site coordinator when the class has completed the survey

Parental Consent

Grade-Level Consent Requirements

Districts determine and administer parental consent in accordance with district policy. The following structure is recommended:

Grade Level Recommended Consent Approach Key Action
Grade 6 Active consent — written parental permission required before student may participate Distribute consent forms; collect signed returns; record authorized students
Grades 7–12 Passive consent — parents notified in advance; students participate unless parents opt out Send notification letters home; track families who opt out

📄Template letters available: WestEd provides template notification letters for both active and passive consent processes. Download them from the Resources section or contact cares@wested.org with questions. Send notifications at least four weeks before the planned survey window.

After the Survey

Post-Survey Follow-Up

The real value of CARES comes from reviewing results and using them to support students. These steps are recommended within 1–3 weeks of the close of the survey window.

  • 📊 Review Completion & Identify Students

    • Check the Response Counts view on the CARES dashboard to confirm participation by school and grade level
    • Note classrooms or grades with low completion; consider a make-up window if warranted
    • Review CSWI scores and identify students scoring in the lowest 15% relative to California norms — these students may benefit from a follow-up conversation or referral
    • Coordinate with school counselors, psychologists, and administrators to determine appropriate next steps

  • 🤝 Share Results and Plan

    • Schedule a data review meeting with the care team (school psychologist, counselors, administrators) within 1–3 weeks
    • Walk through individual student results including CSWI wellness risk scores, social-emotional strengths, and school connectedness
    • Present results in aggregate — do not share individual student results in a group setting without appropriate protocols
    • Incorporate CARES findings into your MTSS process to inform Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports
    • Use CARES data to support program planning and resource allocation across your campus

⚠ Important: CARES results identify students who may benefit from additional support — they are not a clinical diagnosis. All follow-up should be conducted by trained school mental health professionals following established district protocols.

District Data

CARES Dashboard

Log in with your district credentials to access your interactive data dashboard and review student wellness results.

District Login

Enter the credentials provided by your district coordinator after onboarding is complete.

Forgot your password?

Don't have credentials? Contact us at cares@wested.org to get started.

  • 📈

    Individual Student Results

    Review each student's CSWI score, social-emotional strengths, and school connectedness. Filter and sort to quickly identify students who may need follow-up support.

  • 🎯

    Subscale Reporting Across All Three Instruments

    View CSWI wellness risk scores, SEHS-S covitality domain results, and School Connectedness Scale scores side by side for a complete picture.

  • 📅

    Track Student Progress Over Time

    Compare results across fall and spring administrations to identify students making progress and those who may need additional behavioral health supports.

  • 📤

    Export & Share

    Download charts and summary tables to share with your school board, LCAP team, or county behavioral health partners.

Get Started

Request Information

Share your contact information and a WestEd team member will reach out to answer your questions, provide pricing information, and discuss onboarding details and next steps for your district. No commitment required.

Your information will only be used to follow up about CARES. WestEd does not sell or share contact information.

Why Request Information?

Reaching out connects you with our team so we can tailor CARES to your school or district's needs, timeline, and existing student support infrastructure.

  • Get a pricing quote based on your district's enrollment
  • Learn how CARES integrates with MTSS and LCAP
  • Schedule a live demo of the CARES data dashboard
  • Connect with other California districts using CARES
  • Receive onboarding timelines and materials before committing - with no obligation

Research & Instrument Documentation

For peer-reviewed publications, instrument scoring guides, and validation studies, visit the UCSB School Mental Health Collaborative research site.

cares-wellness-screener.org →

Resources

Additional CARES Resources

Resources to help you plan, announce, and administer CARES — plus tools for working with your screening data and supporting research.

Administration Materials

Instruments

Research

Technical Documentation

Additional Tools and Resources