Blog

Understanding and addressing childhood adversity in California was the focus of the Department of Health Care Services’ Learning Series event on May 10. Steve Wirtz, from the Department of Public Health, and Lori Turk-Bicakci, from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, were the featured speakers. They shared the fundamentals of understanding childhood adversity, described state-wide initiatives that support increasing awareness, reducing adversity and promoting resilience, and...

Mental Health Awareness month is a time to note that the emotional health of children is an integral part of overall health, as physical and mental health are intricately linked. Mental disorders affect as many as 1 in 5 U.S. children each year and are some of the most costly conditions to treat – mental health problems among young people under age 24 cost the U.S. an estimated $247 billion annually. Unfortunately, the majority of young people who need mental health treatment do not receive...

A proposal to expand California’s ban on “willful defiance and disruption” suspensions in early elementary grades — so it includes all grades K-12 — is expected to be a topic of discussion as state lawmakers and the governor’s office work to hammer out a final budget deal. This issue could be part of the budget talks for two reasons. First, Gov. Jerry Brown surprised youth and civil rights advocates working on the issue by including an extension of the current law , which only covers grades...

In the fall, Echo will be rolling out the new Training & Certification Course (TCC) for selected candidates who want to become certified in the Echo trauma-informed, nonviolent parenting curriculum. This is the first time Echo will be offering the certification course since 2016. We've been spending the intervening time systematically revising the old parenting curriculum, bringing it up-to-date with the trauma and resilience information that we are already teaching in the parenting...

California's General Assembly has passed a bill to become the first state to extend Medicaid coverage to immigrants, regardless of their status. The bill, known as AB 2965, passed the Democratic-controlled Assembly 33-21 on Wednesday. The proposal would eliminate legal residency requirements in California's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, and the state has already nixed the requirement for individuals younger than 19. The state Senate will consider the bill next, and its Democrat...

For t he teachers, counselors and school liaisons comprising the thin front line of educators grappling with the Golden State’s homeless student population explosion, the dire reality of what it means for the 268,699 young Californians public school districts identified last year as lacking “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” comes into grim focus during the home visit. In a city like Los Angeles, whose high poverty and low housing affordability edged out San Francisco for...

The California Assembly passed AB 1971 Wednesday, legislation which amends the state’s definition of “gravely disabled” to include medical treatment as a basic human need for those suffering from a serious mental illness, just as necessary to well-being as food, clothing or shelter. AB 1971 is sponsored by Los Angeles County, the Steinberg Institute, and the California Psychiatric Association. The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 66-0. The proposal for the change in state law...

The Solano Family Justice Center and First 5 Solano are among the organizations that recently received grants to support education and outreach to help reduce stigma around mental illness. The two local grants are part of a larger $2 million investment by Kaiser Permanente to support community organizations. In all, 25 Northern California organizations were awarded community health grants, including school districts, youth and family services and community coalitions that bring together a...

The Road to Resilience: A Public Health Approach to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) I was privileged and excited to present Neurobiology of Trauma and Resilience to this powerful and attentive group of over 200 state health workers on May 10. We talked about childhood brain development, effects of ACEs, genetics and epigenetics, and neurology of stress, trauma and resilience. From this conference I anticipate statewide action, hopefully impacting thousands if not millions of California...

Applications due June 18. Application link included in this post

California has just released the long anticipated Integrated Core Practice Model and Integrated Training Guide for Children and Youth. These documents serve as anchors to the state's Continuum of Care Reform. This resource is intended to provide practical guidance and direction to support county child welfare, juvenile probation, behavioral health agencies, and community partners to improve delivery of timely, effective, and integrated services to children, youth, and families. The State of...

The original purpose of the West Los Angeles land that was donated to the federal government in 1887 was to house homeless veterans. Over the years, however, VA budgeting priorities directed towards the hospital and questionable land leases left the campus dilapidated and underutilized. As a result of a 2011 lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless vets initiated by local attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union, the VA is now committed to repurposing the 388-acre campus, located near the...