Greg Salcedo, raised in the rural town of Tulare County in California’s Central Valley, attended a small K-8 school and high school where resources like counselors and social workers were scarce. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide were seldom discussed in his community, despite their prevalence in rural, high-poverty areas. However, after the Covid-19 pandemic worsened the mental health crisis in Tulare County, Salcedo pursued a master’s in social work. As a graduate student, he contributed to the Rural Access to Mental Health Professionals program, which placed him as a mental health support worker in local schools.
Tackling the student mental health crisis in rural Central Valley
