Berkley School District families can access free mental health referrals and free gun locks through resources the district spotlighted Friday, Oct. 23.
The Day 5 message capped the district’s Safe Schools Week with a focus on mental wellness, student conflict response and Michigan’s firearm safe-storage laws.
Care Solace referral service
The district partners with Care Solace, a service that provides free help finding mental health and substance-use providers.
According to the district’s Care Solace page, the service searches a network of more than 560,000 providers and services, including providers accepting Medicaid, Medicare and other insurance. Sliding-scale options are available for uninsured families. The referral service is free; treatment costs depend on the provider and coverage.
Families can call 888-515-0595 at any time for multilingual support or search anonymously at caresolace.com/berkleyschools. School health professionals can also submit referrals on a family’s behalf.
Care Solace is not an emergency response service or treatment provider. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911. For mental health or suicide crisis support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
District student services administrators track aggregate usage through a dashboard that does not include patient information, according to the district’s Care Solace page.
Student conflict and restorative practices
The district revised its Student Code of Conduct in 2026 with a focus on equity and restorative practices, according to the Day 5 message. Those practices aim to teach students involved in conflicts how to repair harm and change behavior. Suspension and expulsion remain possible, alongside required re-entry plans.
The updated code also distinguishes between social conflict and bullying. Principals investigate reports using the code and Board Policy 5517.01 to determine whether conduct meets the criteria for bullying.
Administrators are refreshing their training in investigating student conflict this fall.
Free gun locks and Michigan law
The message also pointed families to Michigan’s secure-storage law, Public Act 17 of 2023, which took effect Feb. 13, 2024.
The law addresses firearms stored or left unattended on premises under a person’s control when that person knows or reasonably should know a minor is present or likely to be present. Firearms must be stored in a locked box or container, or kept unloaded and secured with a properly engaged locking device. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provides information about the law and free gun locks.
A separate law, Public Act 258 of 2024, took effect April 2, 2025. It requires annual school notices to parents and legal guardians about secure firearm storage beginning Oct. 1, 2025. The district said it sent that notice in the Sept. 25, 2026, edition of the Berkley Beat newsletter.
Berkley Public Safety has gun locks available for free, according to the district. The district also pointed families to Board Policy 8400, which addresses weapons on school property and at school-sponsored events.
