Blog

By Dr. Robert Sege, 5/18/20, from positiveexperience.org On May 13, 2020, I (Bob Sege) was interviewed for PBS NewsHour and had a chance to bring HOPE to the discussion about child maltreatment during the pandemic. Have a look – all the way to the end – and don’t forget to laugh! [Please click here to read more.]

From University of California, San Francisco, University of California Television, May 14, 2020 A special faculty panel discusses the three different initiatives at UCSF aimed at addressing adverse childhood experience that affect peoples well-being throughout their lifespan. Recorded on 02/27/2020. [ Please click here to read more .]

The Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants (DRAI) project is a one-time state-funded disaster relief assistance for undocumented adult immigrants impacted by COVID-19. An undocumented adult who qualifies can receive $500 in direct assistance, with a maximum of $1000 in assistance per household. How do I apply for the DRAI Program? Starting May 18th, if you are eligible to apply for this assistance, you may seek assistance with the nonprofit organization(s) assigned to your county of...

Susan Gorin @susangorin1st Impacts on the Latinx Community There are long-standing injustices that have led to this, and this moment offers the opportunity to take concerted action to overcome inequalities and transform our thinking and actions towards a "stronger for all" Sonoma county. The health differences between the racial and ethnic groups are rooted in unequal economic and social conditions, as well as in past and current structural inequalities and discrimination that marginalize...

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia and Paulette Cha, Public Policy Institute of California, May 12, 2020 Some Californians face substantial risk of illness within their own households under the state’s shelter-in-place order. Physical distancing and self-isolation can be virtually impossible in crowded homes, threatening the health of entire households. In crowded living conditions, individuals are at higher risk of transmitting infectious diseases , a factor that may challenge the state’s efforts to...

https://forge.medium.com/the-gaslighting-has-begun-resist-aac3658813d4

NEW STUDY REVEALS STARK PICTURE OF BAY AREA POVERTY LEADING UP TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC COVID-19 has shed light on the economic fragility for millions of people in the Bay Area. And yet, what we didn’t know was exactly how fragile things were before the pandemic even hit—until now. Today, we are releasing Taking Count , a new study on poverty in our region, developed in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of how many people are...

By Lizzie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, May 15, 2020 He shuffled out of the house on Innes Avenue, shoulders hunched and legs trembling. The early spring day was clear and breezy. Sunshine baked the driveway. But Wilbur Morris didn’t notice. He settled into the front seat of his daughter’s gray Mercury Mirage, too weak to buckle the seat belt or shut the door, so she did it for him. Wilbur had been a healthy 80-year-old. His preferred drink was nonalcoholic beer. He jogged 3 miles every...

By Vernon M. Billy, Cal Matters, May 15, 2020 School trustees and educators serve our public schools because they care for children and are committed to their learning and growth. We’re eager to welcome students back to campus when we can do so in a safe and supportive environment – and not a moment sooner. We don’t want to resume school at any cost or for the wrong reasons. We cannot jeopardize the safety of students because of the adult desire for a return to normalcy. And when we reopen...

By Samuel Yamshon, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2020 As I make my way into my building’s elevator after a long hospital shift, a neighbor throws his arm out to stop me. “Sorry,” he says, “only one person per elevator.” Seeing my confusion, our doorman kindly but firmly corrects him. “Two per elevator is fine.” I take a step toward the open doors, but the passenger again holds up his palm. “Please,” he pleads, his eyes glancing frantically at my scrubs. “Please, just take a different one.”...

By Patricia Escarcega, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2020 Tony Ruiz doesn’t know where he’s going to sleep tonight. Two months ago, the 31-year-old had a steady job as a line cook at the San Francisco Saloon, the long-standing bar and grill on Pico Boulevard, and was renting a room in a home near the West L.A. neighborhood where he grew up. When he wasn’t working, he dreamed of someday opening his own restaurant. Now, with his job lost to the coronavirus outbreak and his savings eroded, Ruiz is...

Mental health among children and youth is already a concern. In 2018, there were 41,087 hospital discharges for mental health issues among California youth ages 5-19, a 38% increase in the last decade . With the emergence of COVID-19, children with existing mental health issues must endure the added burden of a pandemic. Children often rely on schools to provide mental health services, but school closures have made it difficult to access and preserve the quality of these services. Historical...