In 2002, a Piedmont Middle School teacher won a $2,500 “Rawlings Inspiration Award”. She was aware that the district was not meeting the needs of students with eating disorders (ED). She used her prize to create a crisis consultation program, hiring a therapist for 10 hrs/week.
In 2005, a California Healthy Kids Survey showed that PUSD was failing students in the areas of social-emotional health and mental health. In response, the Piedmont Middle School counselor, Brooke Zimmerman, started The Wellness Center. In 2007, She hired Amy Friedman, LCSW as a part-time therapist, who partnered with regional colleges to provide a residency mentorship for four therapists-in training. These mentees staffed the center, received lectures, mentorship, and training hours, and attended conferences.
In 2011, the PUSD hired a clinical psychologist to supervise interns on a full-time basis who continue to staff the Center.
