Articles
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in student health, education, and our organization's updates and events.
The L.A. Trust, students and allies join suicide prevention campaign
Belmont SAB members asked their peers, “What makes life worth living?” at the first in-person campus campaign in nearly two years. Esther Yepez (center) distributed L.A. Trust hoodies to the health activists.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health continued its education and outreach on student mental health during Suicide Prevention Awareness Week in September.
“Every week should be suicide prevention week,” said Senior Program Manager Robert Renteria of The L.A. Trust. “These are stressful times and our teens, especially, are going through a stressful time of life,” he said. “It is up to all of us to listen when youth talk about hurting themselves or feeling depressed.”
The L.A. Trust and its student-run Student Advisory Boards held a tabling event at Belmont Hight and posted extensively on social media during the week, culminating in a one-hour online workshop marking World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10.
The workshop was hosted by Renteria and Francisco Dussan of L.A. Unified Student and was attended by members of The L.A. Trust, L.A. Unified and other organizations.
“Guy with a story”
It featured and guest speaker Greg Elsasser, an author, English teacher and three-time suicide survivor. Elsasser prefaced his remarks by saying, “I’m not an expert, just a guy with a story.”
He said he had suffered from depression since childhood and had seen more than 30 therapists, counselors and clergy. “I was never honest with them when I was young,” he said.
He said his big secret was being gay. “I never dealt with my sexuality,” he said. “I did not want to be shunned by my family, my God and my church.” Elsasser’s first suicide attempt was when he was 15 and his last was 7 years ago.
The equation changed when he started asking himself how his suicide would harm him. He made lists of things he wanted to do. “They were small things at first, like watching the next season of Game of Thrones.” As his lists got longer and his dreams got bigger the desire to escape life lessened. “I don’t wait till things are spiraling out of control,” Elsasser said. “I realize that there’s nothing that can’t be fixed.”
Dussan said LGBTQ+ youth more vulnerable to suicide. He provided several resources available 24/7 for those seeking help, including the Trevor Project (866 488-7386), focused on LGBTQ+ youth but open to all, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800 273 8255 in English and Spanish). You can also text HELLO TO 741741 anytime.
Vaccinating everyone, including youth, is the key to stopping Delta
Vaccinating everyone — including youth 12 and above — is key to stopping the fast-spreading Delta variant.
By Maryjane Puffer, Executive Director
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
Los Angeles is at a turning point. We must defeat the pandemic now or let a new wave of coronavirus cases sweep through our communities in the next several months.
Forty-five percent of county residents are still not fully vaccinated, and some of the communities hit hardest by COVID-19 have the lowest vaccination rates. Vaccinations are also lagging among the young, who may be more susceptible to the Delta variant than they were to previous strains.
No vaccine offers 100% protection against infection, but current vaccines have proven safe and effective against all strains of COVID-19, including the Delta variant. More than 99.99% of people fully vaccinated people have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the CDC.
We must get this message to the millions of Angelenos who remain unvaccinated, including our youth 12 and above. This is critical as the virulent and dangerous Delta variant spreads.
Vaccination push
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is teaming with the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the Public Health Institute and 12 clinics and agencies to increase vaccinations and vaccine awareness as part of WeVa + LA. We are also supporting The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force, which is building vaccine awareness across Los Angeles. The task force is funded by a grant from Aspiration founder Joe Sanberg facilitated by Ethos Giving.
RESOURCES
The L.A. Trust
The L.A. Trust is conducting a social media campaign to support our partners using the hashtag #WeVaxLACounty. Get photos, videos, posts, blogs and account handles at https://bit.ly/3lcbnGe
CCALAC
The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County has produced a robust COVID-19 toolkit with customizable texts, social media posts and website pages for use by clinics and other agencies.
DPH
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Services offers vaccine scheduling and a communications and information dashboard on vaccines and vaccination rates. Get social media posts in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Armenian at https://thesocialpresskit.com/countyofla
To learn more, find a vaccination site near you and make an appointment, visit VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). You can also call 833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation or scheduling a home visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.
Student health advocates prepare for a healthy year
Members of The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards prepared for the new school year at The L.A. Trust Student Health Summer Learning Academy online.
Student Advisory Board members from LAUSD Wellness Center campuses prepared for a healthy — and challenging — new school year at The L.A. Trust’s annual Summer Learning Academy on student health online July 27–30.
“The turnout and level of engagement was impressive,” said Senior Program Manager Robert Renteria. “These student health advocates are highly motivated — it is an honor to work with them.” Students from six LAUSD campuses — Belmont, Carson, Crenshaw, Jordan, Locke and Washington — attended. The students were joined by staff members from The L.A. Trust’s student engagement team, LAUSD Adult Allies and several special guests.
Students were given an orientation on the Wellness Centers and The L.A. Trust, minor consent and confidentiality and an overview of youth mental health.
Carla Lavelle and Frank Dussan, psychiatric social workers from LAUSD, helped lead a discussion on mental health and resources. Attendees watched and discussed More than Sad, a video on depression. Stigma was identified a leading barrier to youth seeking treatment.
“As students go back to school after more than a year of pandemic isolation and stress, it’s important that these peer educators have all the information and resources possible,” Renteria said.
Other topics included data and public health, including The L.A. Trust Data xChange, selfcare, sexuality and identity, healthy relationship and how to create and conduct health campaigns.
The L.A. Trust will salute Dr. Yonekura at Sept. 30 gala
Children’s health leader Margaret Lynn Yonekura, M.D., will receive The L.A. Trust Champion award September 30 at our Salute to Student Health gala.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health will present its Champion Award to Margaret Lynn Yonekura, M.D., September 30 at its Salute to Student Health event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
Dr. Yonekura, Director of Community Health at Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center, will be honored alongside former L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner, previously announced.
The gala event will be attended by members of The L.A. Trust community, including educators, healthcare providers and donors. Registration is now open.
”The L.A. Trust is honored to recognize my friend Dr. Yonekura for her leadership and service to our community’s children and families,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “Her work on behalf of our students and families has had a significant impact,” Puffer said. “We are particularly grateful for her leadership on the Cultural Trauma and Mental Health Resiliency Project, her past support of our Oral Health Initiative and her service on The L.A. Trust Data xChange Expert Advisory Council, guiding the use of data to advance equity.”
L.A.’s Best Babies Network
Throughout her career Dr. Yonekura has developed comprehensive care programs to address her patients’ complex needs.
These innovative programs include: Options for Recovery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a comprehensive treatment program for pregnant and parenting women with a substance use disorder and their young children; the Hope Street Family Center at CHMC, which promotes the health and welfare of children and families through a variety of private and locally funded initiatives; and the Los Angeles Best Babies Network at CHMC, which oversees and supports perinatal and early childhood home visiting services throughout Los Angeles County.
The L.A. Best Babies Network provides training and technical assistance for over 700 home visitors, data management, facilitation of cross-site peer learning, and coordination and support of communication and messaging efforts. It also runs the L.A. County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visiting Consortium.
Years of service
Dr. Yonekura is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with subspecialty certification in maternal-fetal medicine and a recognized expert in infectious diseases in OB-GYN and perinatal substance abuse. She served on the OB-GYN faculty at LAC-USC Medical Center from 1980-86 and was the chief of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1986-1992.
Since 1992, she has been based at Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center, a nonprofit public benefit hospital serving Central and South Central Los Angeles. She was director of perinatal services at CHMC until 2000, when she became director of community health. She is also an associate professor at both USC and UCLA Schools of Medicine.
Dr. Yonekura is a member of the Women’s Health Policy Council of L.A. County’s Office of Women’s Health, L.A. County Reproductive Health and the Environment Advisory Committee, L.A. County Diabetes Prevention Program Community Advisory Committee and the Preconception Health Council of California.
The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health
A magical night, a critical mission
Thursday, September 29 | 6 to 9 pm
Vibiana | 214 S. Main Street | Downtown Los Angeles
Join civic, education and healthcare leaders at The L.A. Trust’s first annual Salute to Student Health, honoring former Superintendent Austin Beutner of Los Angeles Unified and Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura of Dignity-California Hospital Medical Center.
Meet your colleagues and support our vision of a world where every student is healthy and successful. Entertainment, a hosted bar and small bites from Michelin-recommended Redbird included. Join us in saluting our two honorees and make a difference in student health.
All sponsors and ticket purchasers will have the option to attend the event virtually through our livestream.
$150 PER PERSON
RSVP NOW
Sponsorship opportunities | Contact Julie Edens for more information.
Silent Auction Preview and Bidding | Silent Auction donations
Honoring
Sponsors
Collage photos by Vibiana and The L.A. Trust.
Kids can’t take the COVID vaccine — which is why everyone else should
The L.A. Trust is teaming with the L.A. County Department of Public Health, the Public Health Institute and community clinics to increase vaccinations as COVID cases rise.
By Maryjane Puffer, Executive Director
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
When it comes to COVID-19, most of the focus has been on those at greatest risk: older people, essential workers and those with compromised immune systems. But there’s another group at risk: children under 12. They can’t get the vaccine yet, which is why every eligible person should do so now, before school starts and the highly transmissible delta variant spreads further.
While 69% of Los Angeles County residents have received at least one dose of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine, 4 out of 10 Angelenos are not fully vaccinated, making them susceptible to the delta variant. Nearly half the residents of some communities have yet to be vaccinated at all. This is especially true in many underserved communities, where infection rates and hospitalizations are rising.
Public health officials are concerned about the spread of coronavirus across the board, according to the Los Angeles Times, and the virus has hit Angelenos who can least afford to fall ill. We’re concerned, too. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective — and essential to protect our communities, schools and children. We cannot return to normal until everyone is safe.
Clinics (and youth) take the lead
School and community-based health centers are essential to helping to take the COVID-19 vaccination effort the final mile. The L.A. County Department of Public Health, through the Public Health Institute, has funded a $300,000 vaccination awareness effort — WeVax + LA — supported by The L.A. Trust.
A dozen school- and community-based health centers are stepping up vaccination awareness and access at 35 sites in areas hardest hit by COVID-19. The healthcare providers are Eisner Pediatric and Family Center, LAUSD Wellness Programs, Northeast Valley Health Corporation, South Bay Family Center, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, Social Model Recovery Systems, South Central Family Health Center, T.H.E. Clinic, UMMA Community Clinic, Valley Community Healthcare, ViaCare and Watts Healthcare Corporation. Vaccination sites range from Banning to Wilmington, South Los Angeles to East L.A.
Increasing public awareness is essential to Increasing vaccination rates, and the funds will promote awareness about vaccination using multilingual materials, social media and other outreach. The initiative will also include an assessment of vaccine awareness and attitudes by Watts Healthcare, workflow and text reminder systems by Valley Community Healthcare, and a Skid Row Health Fair by Social Model Recovery. The L.A. Trust is launching its own social media and communications campaign and volunteering at local clinics to help the WeVAX + LA effort. The L.A. Trust has also distributed PPE to WeVax + LA partners, including USC’s School of Dentistry mobile program.
Youth have a big stake in protecting themselves, their family members and their communities from COVID. High school students from 16 campuses have joined The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force to educate their communities about the dangers of the coronavirus and the importance of vaccination. The task force is funded by a grant from Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg (the grant was facilitated by Ethos Giving).
What you can do
We can eliminate the pandemic and prevent another outbreak — if we work together.
If you are eligible and not vaccinated already, get vaccinated now. It’s free, easy and safe.
Volunteer at a COVID clinic or other support agency.
Stay informed and urge your friends and relatives to get vaccinated. Your word will carry more weight than that of a celebrity or politician. Información en español.
If your child is over 2 and not vaccinated, they should wear a mask in all indoor public spaces and crowded outside public spaces. Even if they are less likely to suffer the worst effects of COVID-19, they are vulnerable to MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children), a dangerous disease linked to COVID infection.
Wear a mask when asked or indoors — especially in schools, healthcare facilities and public transportation. Unfortunately, the risk of transmission is not over and there are still millions of unvaccinated individuals in Los Angeles County.
Cedars grant to The L.A. Trust will grow healthcare access and advocacy
Cedars-Sinai is growing its community outreach with a new grant to The L.A. Trust. Photo courtesy Cedars-Sinai.
Cedars-Sinai has awarded $800,000 to The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health to expand advocacy, equity and effectiveness of school-based healthcare in Los Angeles County.
The goals of the two-year initiative include expanding student agency and healthcare access and increasing visits at 19 L.A. Unified Wellness Centers in high-need neighborhoods.
“This grant is a game changer,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “It will enable us and our partners to make long-needed improvements in school-based healthcare and prevention programs and support our students and communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and address the ongoing effects of systemic racism.”
“Cedars-Sinai recognizes the significance of The L.A. Trust’s approach to ensuring access to care,” said Jonathan Schreiber, vice president of Community Engagement. “We are proud to support The L.A. Trust in the launch of this timely effort to meet the increased wellness needs of students in our communities.”
The Cedars-Sinai grant will fund a School Health and Wellness Initiative that will develop best practices, expand student engagement and foster research and innovation:
Policy Roundtable
The initiative will help re-establish The L.A. Trust Student Health Policy Roundtable and develop it into a robust cohort of Los Angeles-based partners that will advocate for funding and policies that improve the well-being of Los Angeles County public school students. The roundtable will address pressing student health concerns, including anti-racism priorities.
Student engagement
The grant will also help The L.A. Trust expand student engagement by adding Student Advisory Boards at new or recently established Wellness Centers on Los Angeles Unified campuses. Student engagement is a key driver of campus change, enlisting hundreds of students each year to develop health campaigns that reach tens of thousands of students. Student Advisory Board members will also be consulted by the Policy Roundtable for input and participation.
Research and resources
The initiative will also help increase access and improve services across the Wellness Network. This will be accomplished through The L.A. Trust Data xChange, a first-in-the-nation initiative that links student health metrics with academic and attendance data to identify concerns and find solutions. Other research and best practices funded by the Cedar-Sinai grant will include a verified school-health integration measurement tool, community events such as clinic open houses, and The L.A. Trust’s long-running Wellness Network Learning Collaboratives.
“Cedars-Sinai is a generous and forward-thinking community partner,” said Anna Baum, director of development and communications for The L.A. Trust. “They are deeply concerned about student and community health, and their expertise and funding have supported our work in mental health, oral health and prevention education for five years,” Baum said. “We are grateful for their partnership and for making this important new initiative possible.”
The L.A. Trust expands team to meet its missions
New additions to The L.A. Trust team will enable us to expand research, best practices and services affecting hundreds of thousands of students and their families.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is expanding its team to meet new challenges and fulfill new grants.
Alex Zepeda has joined The L.A. Trust as a full-time senior data and research analyst. Zepeda will oversee The L.A. Trust Data xChange, a multimillion-dollar initiative that links student health metrics with academic and attendance data to identify concerns and find solutions. She will also support other research projects, programs funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the Operations Committee of The L.A. Trust board of directors.
The Pasadena resident has served as a research analyst at Child360 and worked at the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities. Zepeda has a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and master’s in public health from UCLA.
“We are excited to have Alex on board,” said Marsha Ellis, director of programs for The L.A. Trust. “The L.A. Trust believes in data-driven solutions and Alex is the perfect person to help us find them.”
More development
Summer intern Erick Escalante, health connections intern, will promote The L.A. Trust’s school-based health census; align policy and legislative work to support LAUSD Wellness Centers; collect, organize and communicate SBIRT data; and help prepare reports on the overall Wellness Initiative.
Julie Edens has joined The L.A. Trust as a fundraising and events consultant reporting to Development and Communications Director Anna Baum. Edens will work part-time managing fundraising events, including the upcoming Salute to Student Health event and individual giving campaigns.
Also reporting to Baum is Hailey Jures, who will continue to serve The L.A. Trust as development consultant and grant writer. Jures is completing her master’s degree in public affairs at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
University of San Francisco undergraduate Erin Brown, who joined The L.A. Trust as an intern in March, will become a part-time communications assistant in August, reporting to Rob Wray, associate director of communications and media.
“Hailey has been an important part of our team for years,” Baum said. “I have worked closely with Julie Edens at the CLARE Foundation and seen her skills in action. And in just a few short months, Erin has proven herself in a key communications function,” Baum said. “Together, they will help The L.A. Trust raise its profile in the community and raise the funds we need to accomplish our missions.”
The L.A. Trust will honor Austin Beutner at Sept. 30 gala
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner will be honored by The L.A. Trust at its Salute to Student Health event. LAUSD photo.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health will present its first-ever Visionary Award to L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, September 30 at its Salute to Student Health event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
The gala will be attended by members of The L.A. Trust community, including educators, healthcare providers and donors. Registration for the event will open soon.
Learn more, become a sponsor
“We are proud to present this award to Superintendent Beutner,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “We honor his innovation, his hard work and his leadership in seeing the school community through the COVID-19 crisis.”
Beutner said, “I am a product of public schools, and I wouldn’t be here today but for my great public education. I have committed myself to making sure children in our community have the same opportunities I was provided with, including quality healthcare.”
Record of achievement
Austin Beutner is a civic leader and public servant who has worked for the last decade to make Los Angeles a stronger community. He was appointed superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, in May 2018.
Under Beutner’s leadership Los Angeles Unified has led the nation in responding to the crisis in public schools created by COVID-19. The school district has provided more than 135 million meals along with 40 million items of needed supplies to the communities it serves, made sure all students have a computer and free internet access to remain connected with their school and to continue learning, and has provided COVID-19 tests and vaccinations to students, staff and community members at schools.
During his tenure, Los Angeles Unified was transformed from a top-down, one-size-fits-all bureaucracy into an organization led by 44 nimble, local teams dedicated to each of the communities it serves. Students, in particular students of color, have made significant progress in early literary and math. High school graduates are provided with jobs while they attend local colleges, and students have the opportunity to participate in an extraordinary set of new classes and programs. One example is a program created with Fender Guitar, where 5,000 middle-school students received a free guitar to participate in teacher-led music classes.
Civic leadership
Beutner has served as first deputy mayor of Los Angeles, publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union Tribune, and co-chair of the LA 2020 Commission and the L.A. Unified Advisory Task Force.
At age 29, Beutner became the youngest partner at The Blackstone Group. He left Blackstone to serve in the U.S. government, where he led a portion of U.S. efforts to help Russia transition to a market economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He went on to found Evercore Partners and as president and co-CEO helped build it into one of the leading independent investment firms in the world.
Beutner holds a degree in economics from Dartmouth College and has taught courses in ethics, leadership and effective government at Harvard Business School, the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy, the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and California State University Northridge.
Beutner currently serves on the board of the National Park Foundation, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He founded Vision To Learn, a non-profit organization that has provided free eye exams and glasses to more than 250,000 children at schools in low-income communities across the country.
Distance-learning physical education taught surprising lessons
A year of distance-learning PE taught school leaders and teachers valuable lessons, according to a new report from The L.A. Trust, L.A. Unified and UCLA.
Physical education was even more critical to students’ physical and emotional engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report funded by the L.A. Dodgers Foundation and published in the Journal of School Health.
The report — Teachers’ and School Leaders’ Perspective on Distance Learning Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic — was a collaboration between UCLA, The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health and Los Angeles Unified. It was written by Dr. Rebecca Dudovitz, board member of The L.A. Trust and associate professor, David Geffen School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics at UCLA; Jocelyn Vilchez, Physical Education K-12 Specialist, Los Angeles Unified Division of Instruction; Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust; and John Kruse, director of physical education at LAUSD.
Dudovitz said, “Many of the lessons learned during distance learning will enhance physical education moving forward, including a deeper focus on educational standards, emphasizing the integration of physical education into students’ daily lives, use of technology to enhance learning, and the importance of social-emotional learning as a core component of physical education.”
Maryjane Puffer of The L.A. Trust said, “This report recognizes the creativity and hard work our students and physical education teachers put in during the pandemic. We know that PE is good for students — we must devote more time and invest more resources to this, especially in our under-served schools.”
Speaking to experts
Using purposive and snowball sampling, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 physical education teachers and school health experts across 21 California school districts on best practices for physical education via distance learning.
Four major themes emerged, the report stated: Participants felt high-quality physical education via distance learning was both critical and possible; strategies for creating a successful distance learning environment included personalization, creativity and inclusiveness; and resources necessary for success included professional development, administrative support and equipment.
“I was surprised that overwhelmingly, our participants felt that high-quality physical education was possible during distance learning, and (by) the real enthusiasm for creativity and new learning approaches the pandemic motivated,” Dudovitz said. But “many participants also described the unequal access to physical fitness many low-income students faced and the high need for social-emotional support. They also described feeling the physical education was often under-valued, relative to core academic subjects,” she added.
The report’s bottom line: “Participants identified effective strategies, challenges, and recommendations for the future; felt optimistic about their ability to provide quality physical education via distance learning given the necessary supports; and perceived that they played a critical role in supporting student health during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Board and staff of The L.A. Trust examine equity issues
Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh is facilitating The L.A. Trust’s equity, diversity and inclusion effort.
Officers, board members and staff of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health unpacked issues of equity, diversity and inclusion at a special online meeting May 24.
Intersectionality expert, educator and “Artivist” Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh led the discussion, which was designed to foster thought exchange; define racism and understand its history and impact; and to name, challenge and change racial biases.
In one exercise, the 28 participants filled in the statement, “As a [blank person] I do not know what it is to navigate our society as [a minoritized identity].” The workshop explained the difference between equality (everyone getting the same thing) and equity (everyone getting what they need to reach fair outcomes and opportunities).
Dr. Valizadeh shared a chart demonstrating that overt white supremacy like hate crimes is only the tip of a large foundation of more subtle forms of racism, from cultural appropriation to so-called color-blindness.
The roots of racism
The participants filled in a “racism tree” that showed the seeds and roots of racism (slavery, colonialism and biased laws, policies and practices) to the sustaining trunk of racism (from the criminal justice system to underfunded schools and healthcare).
Participants then named the branches (results) that have grown from the tree that’s been sustained over hundreds of years, including shorter life spans, mass incarceration and disparities in healthcare and education. Dr. Valizadeh cited Ibram Kendi’s book, Stamped from the Beginning, to share that the actual foundation of racism was self-interest.
Several participants said they left the two-hour event feeling both inspired and challenged. The session was part of a larger equity exploration by The L.A. Trust, included a series of staff trainings.
Dr. Valizadeh has a background in equity and education, and has been teaching race and gender equity courses for USC and UCLA since 2015. She works with local schools and districts to facilitate professional development and address structural barriers that disproportionately impact students of color and their success.
She also helps school leaders impact change through her innovative and trauma-informed approaches to restorative justice and serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the Long Beach PTA Council and is the DEI Chair at Fremont Elementary School.
Health educators from The L.A. Trust go back to school
The L.A. Trust and Beyond the Bell have distributed more than 100,000 toothbrushes and other donated oral healthcare items to students and family members as part of Operation Tooth Fairy.
Los Angeles Unified School students are back on campus — and so are oral healthcare educators from The L.A. Trust.
Program Manager Esther Yepez and her kid-friendly puppet Billy visited Logan Street Elementary School in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles May 5. It’s the first of nine such trainings sponsored by a grant from QueensCare.
“Students were extremely excited to learn about the importance of why we brush our teeth and how cavities are formed,” Yepez said. “They learned about the germ called plaque that causes cavities.”
Good to be back
Yepez and Billy addressed four classes — one transitional kindergarten class, two kindergarten classes and one first-grade class. A total of 78 students received the instruction along with oral healthcare kits containing toothbrushes and Sesame Street brochures.
Executive Director Maryjane Puffer of The L.A. Trust said, “It’s good to be back in the classroom, teaching good oral healthcare habits to our kids.”
The L.A. Trust’s oral healthcare mission has continued during the pandemic, Puffer noted. Operation Tooth Fairy distributed more than $455,000 in supplies; The L.A. Trust’s kid-friendly oral health campaign on KLCS and social media reached an audience of more than 1.5 million.
The campaign has made celebrities out of Yepez and Billy. One student in the hallway recognized the pair from their appearances on KLCS. They appeared on the L.A. Unified TV station 150 times during the pandemic.
Partner profile: Satterberg Foundation is giving with heart
The Satterberg Foundation is a lead sponsor of the Seattle Equity Summit, which helps leaders and the public share strategies that advance equity. Photo by Jovelle Tamayo.
By Anna Baum
Donors are truly members of the non-profit family, and nowhere is that more evident than in the case of the Satterberg Foundation.
It helps that the Satterberg board and staff see their work as vital to their own well-being. Board Member Ben Lazarus and Caroline Miceli, director of operations and special interest grants, spoke to us recently and shared about Satterberg’s “secret sauce.”
“It’s about building trust,” said Caroline, “how to build relationships and trust.” The L.A. Trust has benefited greatly from Satterberg’s supportive stance — Caroline was the first to reach out when the pandemic hit, schools closed, and the bottom dropped out for so many nonprofits. A grantee since 2018, we had developed the relationships between their staff and ours that build trust.
A few months later when the murder of George Floyd rocked the nation and sparked a new chapter of its long climb out of racist roots, Satterberg was right there, asking its grantees again: what do you need?
Being human together
The answers led them to creating spaces “just to be human together,” and to Satterberg hosting professionally led Virtual Health, Healing & Caucusing meetings for both Black, Indigenous, People of Color and white-bodied cohorts. These gatherings offered a rare opportunity to begin the often-difficult conversations and healing processes as we engage in the national reckoning about systemic racism and its fall-out.
The Satterberg Foundation states that it “strengthens our communities by promoting a just society and a sustainable environment. Doing this work deepens the interconnection of our family.” Founded in by 1990 by Virginia Satterberg Pigott Helsell out of her and her husband’s love for their family, it continues to be a well of inspiration for their children and grandchildren.
Ben, Virginia’s step-grandson, is “grateful for the amount of family time it builds into my life.” A production sound mixer in Los Angeles, he looked forward to board meetings in Seattle before the pandemic, which allowed him to see his grandfather and other family members more frequently. The board is now composed of about 50% each of the two generations.
Extended family
The “family” in Satterberg’s mission statement is literal, but also resonates with the foundation’s vision of our human family. When Caroline started seven years ago, Sarah Walczyk was the only staff member, and the Satterberg family members did most of the work. Sarah is now executive director, with seven staff members and growing. Taking the long view of what organizations (as families) need in order to thrive, they focus on multiyear, core support grants.
They also understand the benefits for everyone of being “process light” in their grants process. Originally they asked interested organizations to send a page, and decided on the basis of that whether to schedule a visit. One organization sent an idea the writer had while folding laundry and drinking wine, about growing a lemon tree in a trash can. “That candor was an oasis in a desert of really dry letters,” Ben said. They set up a visit and the idea went on to be a form of community garden. The process has evolved, but they continue to ”connect on a human level, not on a KPI level,” in Caroline’s words.
Frank and open
This “come as you are” attitude helps grantees be frank about the issues and open about lessons learned. “We show up as humans, imperfect, all trying to mitigate power imbalances and talk about what people and organizations need,” said Caroline. “It’s a mosaic, not a traditional, white-dominated way. We’re centering and amplifying voices in our community, being an advocate through dollars or using one’s platform.”
This leads to the question of how to vet nonprofits to ensure the funds have the strongest impact. The L.A. Trust was recently awarded another five-year core support grant. How does the Foundation make such decisions? “Through community,” says Caroline. They look at what the work is, who is doing it, and whether the work, staff and board are coming from the communities served. Site visits clarify whether there is alignment with Satterberg’s mission and values.
Two of those values are moral courage and joy — qualities needed now more than ever. The L.A. Trust is grateful for the founders and stewards of the unique foundation; their comradeship helps sustain those values in our work.
Youth COVID-19 campaign will hit close to home
Students on The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force are developing a campaign to promote awareness and vaccination in Los Angeles.
High school students from 16 different campuses have joined The L.A. Trust COVID-19 Youth Task Force to educate their communities about the dangers of the coronavirus and the importance of vaccination. For many — quarantined for a year and grieving lost loved ones — the effort is personal.
“While all of our youth have been impacted one way or another, some of them are also grieving lost family members,” Nina Lee Tran, program manager for The L.A. Trust. “These youth applied to our Task Force and were selected to go through a rigorous and fast-paced program to learn more about COVID-19 and make a difference through their campaign.”
The task force is funded by a grant from Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg (Sanberg’s grant was facilitated by Ethos Giving). The task force started work March 1 and will continue through the end of August. The students, ages 15 to 17, have a lot on their plate, including learning about COVID and developing community presentations and social media campaigns.
Follow the task force on Instagram @covid_19ytf
The students’ participation “reminds me that youth are eager to learn and impact their communities, even during the pandemic,” Tran said.
Learning will be on two tracks: Students will become informed about the virus, the disease and vaccination, and will also become experts on communicating their message at community meetings and on social media.
Learning from experts
The 22 student members meet two hours per week and learn about COVID-19 from experts from UCLA, including Dr. Moira Inkelas, Dr. Vladimir Manuel and Dr. Jennifer B. Peralta. Topics include the biology and virology of COVID-19; understanding data and interpreting local testing and vaccination rates; and understanding vaccines.
The second half of each weekly two-hour session will focus on campaign and presentation development. It will be led by Tran, Program Manager Esther Yepez of The L.A. Trust, and Sabrina Rodrigues, an MPH fellow from UCLA.
High schools and charter schools represented on the task force are: Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School; Bell High School; Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy; Carson High School; Crenshaw High School; Girls Academic Leadership Academy; Huntington Park High School; Jordan High School; Locke High School; Manual Arts High School; San Pedro High School; South East High School; STEM Academy of Boyle Heights; STEM Academy of Hollywood; University Prep Value High School Charter; and West Adams High School.
Mission Report: The L.A. Trust pivoted during pandemic
Our lockdown year (clockwise from top left): The L.A. Trust attended an on-campus healthcare rally; distributed PPE at St. John’s; taught little ones to brush on KLCS; handed out 100,000 toothbrushes during Operation Tooth Fairy; engaged students on Zoom; and helped promote the online CSHA Conference with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has released its 2021 Mission Report documenting an extraordinary year for the nonprofit agency and its stakeholders.
“Last year was challenging, especially for our underserved communities,” Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, told stakeholders. “But it was not a lost year.”
“Like our students, teachers, school staff and healthcare providers, we found new strength, learned new skills and made new connections online,” Puffer said. “Like them, we found new ways of accomplishing our mission.”
The 16-page Mission Report details how the L.A. Trust pivoted during the quarantine. It transferred in-person meetings to online platforms like Zoom; expanded education campaigns on social media and television; and distributed more than 100,000 oral healthcare items and PPE at Wellness Centers and schools.
The L.A. Trust launched a new Student Mental Health Initiative and educated legislators about the need for school-based healthcare. It also convened experts and stakeholders at online forums and engaged student health advocates at virtual events. The L.A. Trust also launched a new website and rallying cry, “Putting the care in student healthcare.”
Students the unsung heroes
“Our partners stepped up to support us as we pivoted,” the report notes. “Los Angeles Unified School District emerged as a national leader in handling the crisis, and healthcare providers saved lives, while risking their own.”
An introductory message from Puffer and Board Chair Will Grice said, “The unsung heroes of the pandemic were our young people, who managed online education, nursed sick loved ones and shouldered increased family responsibilities.”
The Mission Report documents The L.A. Trust’s activities in nine key areas: Advocacy, healthy living/nutrition, mental health, oral health, research, sexual and reproductive health, student engagement, substance use prevention and support for L.A. Unified’s 17 Wellness Centers.
The report also lists key funders of The L.A. Trust, board members, Wellness Centers and Student Advisory Boards. It includes a financial report for the 12 months ended June 30, 2020 showing how the organization withstood the economic downturn by lowering overhead and raising funds through new grants and individual donations.
“I especially want to thank our executive committee and board for guiding us through this tumultuous year,” Puffer said. “Their expertise, counsel and personal fundraising activities were indispensable.”
Teachers and safety protocols greet returning L.A. students
L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner greets returning students this week at Maurice Sendak Elementary School in North Hollywood.
Thirteen months after the start of the coronavirus quarantine, L.A. Unified students are starting to return to campus this week, and other local districts are following suit. But it will take a big commitment, and a big investment, to get schools and students back on track, according to Austin Beutner, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified.
“Reopening of schools is not a simple exercise,” Beutner said. “COVID safety protocols and testing, class schedules and lesson plans, after-school programs, transportation, meals and much more all need to come together.”
“It’s heartening to see our students back on campus after this difficult quarantine,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. ”We must do everything we can to help them recover what they’ve lost in academics and healthcare.”
This week 72 early education and elementary schools are re-opening for families who have selected in-person learning. The remaining early education and elementary schools will open next week, and middle and high schools will reopen the week of April 26.
Students and staff are required to take a COVID test before returning to school. L.A. Unified provides testing sites and locations for students and families to obtain a test. The testing hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 25. Visit the testing website or call the Family Hotline at 213-443-1300 to schedule an appointment.
Closing opportunity gaps
“The opportunity gaps for students from families who are struggling to get by will only worsen if they’re not back in schools with their peers from more affluent neighborhoods,” Beutner said in a video update to the LAUSD community.
“It’s simple enough to see the solution — providing vaccinations for families with children in schools is the single most important thing we can do to get more children back in school classrooms.” L.A. Unified has partnered with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Northeast Community Clinics to provide 25 school-based vaccination centers.
Unprecedented investment
An unprecedented investment from the state and federal governments in public schools are invested in services for mental, student disabilities, and proper sterilization of LAUSD campuses for the 2021-22 school year, the superintendent reported.
Beutner said, “$170 million will provide more mental health counselors at schools to help students process the anxiety and trauma of the past year… $140 million investment will update Individualized Education Programs and provide more direct services to students. To help keep schools clean and safe, we’ll invest an additional $220 million in custodial staff, cleaning supplies, upgraded facilities and COVID testing.”
One challenge: While L.A. Unified saw the same proportion of graduates enrolling in four-year colleges, there was a 9% drop in those who enrolled in two-year colleges. This issue is most acute in lower-income communities.
Student advocates explore teen health at Y2Y Summit
The L.A. Trust Y2Y Summit on April 1 featured frank talk, strong engagement and a Millennium theme.
Honest discussions and strong engagement were the order of the day as more than 80 students and their supporters met April 1 at The L.A. Trust Youth to Youth Student Health Summit online.
Student health advocates from seven Student Advisory Boards, LAUSD Student Health and Human Services, L.A. County Department of Public Health, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Black Women for Wellness attended the conference. The event was sponsored by Cedars-Sinai, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Essential Access Health, Health Net and Joe Sanberg, co-founder of Aspiration.
The half-day learning event included entertainment, activities and six workshops on student health issues, including HPV and other STDs, substance use, daily challenges and safer sex.
Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, welcomed the participants. “I am so proud of the work you are doing. You are positive change agents — you are going down in history for improving your schools and communities.”
The Y2Y Summit was facilitated by The L.A. Trust’s student engagement team, including Robert Renteria, Rosario Rico, Mackenzie Scott and Dannielle Griffin. “Engagement was very high, especially for a virtual event,” Renteria said. “Students came prepared to share, learn and support each other, and they returned a lot of great feedback after the event.”
No perfect path
Irma Rosa Viera, a CalState Northridge Student and former SAB member from Elizabeth Learning Center, previewed “Life After High School.” Viera talked about her post-high school experiences and said, “Don’t fear not knowing what your career will be – I thought I was going to be an interpreter and switched to child development counselor.” She added, “There may be downs but finding the silver lining is going to be awesome.”
Rico said there “is no perfect path” and pointed out that there are alternatives to four-year college, including entrepreneurship, vocational training and military service, which provides funds for college. When quizzed about their career interests, students cited healthcare, business, entrepreneurship, computers, mechanics and engineering as top possibilities.
Other breakout workshops included Know Your HPV Facts, The Highs and Lows of Substance Use, The ABCs of STDs, Daily Challenges, and Sexual Health and Safe(r) Sex.
Coping with COVID
L.A. Unified SHHS Organization Facilitator Victor Luna led a panel discussion by the L.A. Department of Public Health (DPH) COVID Youth Advisory Board that featured Evan Bowman, junior at Archer School for Girls; Gisselle Gonzalez, Stanford University freshman; Osiris Lamon, Paraclete High School junior; and Morgan McIntosh, Marymount High School junior.
Luna asked the youth advisors how they had been coping with COVID. Lamon, a DPH youth advisor, cited talking with friends, spending time with family and friends, and giving back. Other student quarantine recommendations included exercise, studying, painting, anime and “lots of movies.”
Y2Y meets Y2K
Zoom backgrounds and The L.A. Trust’s in-house DJ — Program Manager Nina Nguyen — set a Millennial mood with graphics and music matching the event’s theme, “Y2Y Meets Y2K.” GrubHub coupons were sent to students so they could enjoy the event’s traditional lunch.
A social media contest garnered nearly 100 new posts and followers on Instagram. Brayam of Jordan High won the contest and a Nintendo Switch Lite portable game console.
Nearly 90% of attendees surveyed said attending the Summit was worth their time; 93% said they would recommend the event to a friend. Kristie Garrison, LAUSD Healthy Start Coordinator and an Adult Ally of the Carson High SAB, praised the event and its student participants.
A Belmont High student said, “It was my first Y2Y — awesome presentations and great to see other youth leaders!” Taaliyah, a student from Washington Prep, said the Summit reached her mind and heart because it addressed mental health and relationships. Isaac from Manual Arts High School said, “I learned new things — things I can call out and use.”
The L.A. Trust hosts first Youth Mental Health Collaborative
The L.A. Trust, L.A. Unified, healthcare providers and student representatives are uniting to address youth mental health concerns.
Representatives from L.A. Unified School Mental Health, Student Health and Human Services, Wellness Center operators and other concerned organizations met at the first-ever Youth Mental Health Collaborative hosted March 25 by The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health.
Marsha Ellis, director of programs for The L.A. Trust, said, “The Youth Mental Health Collaborative has two objectives — to improve student mental health access and services, and incorporate youth voice into improving the system.” The collaborative is funded by the Ballmer Group and is part of The L.A. Trust Student Mental Health Initiative, launched last fall.
Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, framed the work, outlining how training, engagement and referral systems will work together in a single strategy encompassing awareness, prevention and intervention, and healthcare access.
Puffer said members of The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Boards and after-school providers have already begun training in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Members of The L.A. Trust staff completed the training last year. Members of the Woodcraft Rangers attended the training March. Students will also participate in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), a suicide prevention program, and will continue to conduct student awareness campaigns on social media and on–campus, when classroom teaching resumes.
Survey finds challenges
Ellis presented survey results about the challenges encountered with remote counseling. The top issue reported was technology, followed by difficulty obtaining consent forms, distractions, lack of privacy, inadequate follow–through and complicated telehealth platforms.
Kim Griffin Esperon, a clinical social worker and administrative coordinator of LAUSD School Mental Health, provided an update on school mental health referrals, which have declined during the pandemic.
Esperon said providers can receive referral requests through several channels. LAUSD has an online “Mail Me” portal that can be used to send and receive parental consent forms. Another consent option is Zoom remote control and signature forms. Parents can also drop off and pick up paper consent forms at schools.
Jaime Ducreux, LAUSD organization facilitator, gave an update on the status of agreements between LAUSD and school-based mental health providers (MOUs). He said it has not been determined when outside providers will be allowed back on campus.
Tanya Mercado, a LAUSD social worker and attendance counselor, and Francisco Dussan of School Mental Health, Innovative Funding for Mental Health, spoke about funding models needed to expand and improve school-based mental health services. Research is still being conducted to investigate funding streams, develop deeper partnerships and recommend policy, practices and legislative changes needed to increase funding and support, they reported.
The one-hour collaborative concluded with a discussion on future bimonthly Youth Mental Health Collaboratives and establishing subcommittees to act as working groups.
Dental disease starts young, so should oral healthcare
Brushter, Gumster and Toothster are the spokes-characters of L.A. County’s “Love Your Baby’s Teeth” campaign, which launched on multiple media outlets last month.
Oral health advocates from public agencies, private foundations, community groups and L.A. Unified explored how to improve children’s dental care starting at an early age at The L.A. Trust’s quarterly Oral Health Advisory Board meeting March 16.
Dr. Abrey Daniel of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health introduced the county’s extensive new Love Your Baby’s Teeth education campaign, launched during Children’s Dental Health Month in February. The campaign features TV, radio, PR and social media.
Daniel said one-quarter of L.A. children age 2 to 4 have tooth decay, and 55% of all lower-income children have dental disease, which is more prevalent in Black and Latinx communities.
“Families where Spanish is (mainly) spoken are at the greatest risk” in L.A. County, Daniel said.
The county’s multilingual campaign includes heavy use of Spanish-language media, and features such elements as dental office posters, bus shelter ads, exam table paper with campaign messages, and giveaway mirror clings to remind kids to floss and brush. The campaign has already reached hundreds of thousands.
Smile, California
Dr. Puja Shah, Medi-Cal outreach consultant, reviewed the California Department of Health Care Services’ “Smile, California” campaign, designed to build awareness and use of the benefits available from Medi-Cal Dental.
The tagline of the campaign is “Medi-Cal Has Dental Covered.” Key messages include getting a child’s first check up by their first birthday; seal today to prevent decay; and Medi-Cal covers dental during pregnancy. The comprehensive outreach includes robust websites in Spanish and English connecting patients and providers, a partner program enlisting community groups and a toolkit with materials for children and family members.
Shah also noted that the agency was improving its online complaint system so patients can report providers who refuse them care.
More outreach and updates
Cynthia Cervantes, Oral Health Collaborative Consortium liaison from the UCLA School of Dentistry, gave an update on the consortium, which is funded the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Oral Health.
Cervantes stated that the mission of the OHCC is to “support and facilitate the implementation of the L.A. County Community Oral Health Strategic Plan (COHIP) throughout L.A. County through community outreach and leadership in each of four Mega Service Planning Areas. She gave examples of outreach at faith-based organizations, Los Angeles Public Library branches, medical clinics and daycare centers. The consortium will host Oral Health Summits in 2021 and 2022.
Susan Flores, senior policy coordinator from the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, updated OHAB members on Medi-Cal dental appointments during the pandemic. The decreases in monthly appointments ranged from 437,898 in April 2020 to 129,114 last August, the most recent numbers available.
Flores also urged support for two California Assembly bills under consideration. AB526 would allow dentists to vaccinate for Covid and flu, potentially increasing healthcare equity. AB733 would help expand access to oral healthcare for children and those pregnant enrolled in Medi-Cal by allowing registered dental hygienists to partner with medical professionals to provide fluoride treatments and oral health education and coordinate dental care. It is similar to a bill signed last year (AB890) that allowed physician assistants to perform more oral healthcare.
Gloria Velasquez, organization facilitator for L.A. Unified’s Student Health and Human Services, gave a briefing on school re-openings, including health and testing protocols and the hybrid teaching model.
Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, sounded an optimistic note at the close of the meeting. “The important thing is that nobody stopped working.” She pointed to expanded outreach on social media, TV and video, and events like The L.A. Trust’s ongoing Operation Tooth Fairy, which has distributed more than 58,000 toothbrushes to date. The next meeting of The L.A. Trust’s Oral Health Advisory Board will be held in person or online June 15 in accordance with health directives.
Mental health is a key concern as students return to class
As students return to campus after a year of lockdown, youth mental health will be a paramount concern.
As Los Angeles Unified and other local school districts reopen, the question becomes, “What comes after COVID?”
“We can’t carry on as if the past year hasn’t happened,” says Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. A year of isolation, economic and food insecurity, distance learning and delayed healthcare have created a crisis for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles County public school students — one that will not disappear when in-person learning starts later next month.
Existing healthcare systems, like the 16 LAUSD Student and Family Wellness Centers offering mental health services to schools and communities hardest hit by COVID, will play an important role in the post-COVID recovery process. So will programs like The L.A. Trust’s Student Mental Health Initiative ramping up this year.
Wellness Centers key
“School wellness centers could be an answer to soaring mental health needs in California,” according to a report — “Every Young Heart and Mind: Schools as Centers of Wellness” — released last December by the California Mental Health Service Oversight & Accountability Commission. According to the report, 1 in 6 high school students in California has considered suicide in the past year, and 1 in 3 report feeling chronically sad. LGBTQ students and low-income Black and Latinx students experienced higher rates in both categories and were less likely to receive services intended to help them, the report said.
The American Psychological Association recommends teachers use existing processes and referral protocols to identify students who need extra support — especially those suffering anxiety and depression, which can be hard to identify under the best of circumstances.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Teachers, counselors and healthcare professionals are not the only ones who can help. The L.A. Trust staff was trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) last fall and is sharing its knowledge with after-school providers and others.
The first YMHFA class of 20 after–school providers was held online March 12. “The participants were eager for the information and the feedback was very enthusiastic,” said Eddie Hu, program manager at The L.A. Trust. “Mental health is an urgent issue and this training curriculum is timely and compelling.”
The Youth Mental First Aid training will be expanded later to include members of The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards and other students on L.A. Unified campuses.
“People who work with students — and students themselves — need to be aware of the danger signs of suicide and self-harm,” said Hu. “The crisis is real — without training we can miss the red flags.”
YMFA training is part of The L.A. Trust’s Student Mental Health Initiative, a multi-pronged effort funded by Health Net, Cedars-Sinai, Dignity Health and Ballmer Group. It includes a Youth Mental Health Collaborative launching this month, made up of LAUSD leaders, Wellness Center staff, and community mental health organizations to identify and resolve obstacles to care. Student input will be a key component informing the group’s work. The group will also advocate for needed policy change at the district and county level.
The state of student mental health in Los Angeles Unified School District was acute even before the pandemic. In a screening of 572 LAUSD students, 88% reported experiencing three or more traumatic events in their lifetime, 55% of whom showed symptoms of PTSD, depression or anxiety. LAUSD recorded 7,661 suicidal ideation incident reports in the 2018-2019 school year.
Time will tell how much damage has been wrought by a year of lost education, healthcare and outside contact and support. The pandemic of trauma caused by COVID-19 will be felt for years according to the National Education Association, which states “the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color has magnified the trauma of Black and Latinx students.”
“Teaching and learning can’t just pick up where educators and students left off,” the NEA observes. Trauma-informed policies and care are critical. ”Moving forward with grief or loss is better than just moving on.”