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When Christopher Gonzalez first entered John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, he noticed that students generally kept to themselves and their own cliques. “It was like a line you didn’t cross,” said Gonzalez, now a senior. The climate began to change more than a year ago: More greetings are exchanged in hallways. Virtually no one sits alone at lunchtime. Students from various cross sections of the school — gamers, artists, dancers, jocks and others — gather together in a small grassy...

California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris yesterday launched a statewide listening tour at Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative (FRCC) in Sacramento to raise awareness about the link between Adverse Childhood Experiences, toxic stress and serious health conditions. “As California’s first Surgeon General, one of my top priorities is to raise awareness that Adverse Childhood Experiences, like emotional abuse or witnessing domestic violence, can increase the risk of major health...

According to several recent surveys, around one in five — or about 400,000 — California community college students has experienced homelessness in the last year. Thousands more are at risk of becoming homeless. Calling that number “shocking, alarming and tragic,” Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, on Tuesday outlined a new bill — AB 302 — that would force community colleges to allow homeless students to sleep inside their vehicles in campus parking lots overnight. “Shame on us if we turn...

Congress is considering giving a $750 million bump in help to comprehensive programs to help the homeless, with agreement from both Democrats and Republicans that it’s an innovative approach to a persistent issue. The bill, introduced last week by California Democrats Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Ted Lieu, would give the grant money to localities, such as local governments and nonprofits, who could then dole the money out to programs that provided housing, mental health services, substance...

Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday appointed Mark Ghaly, a practicing pediatrician and director of health and social impact at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, to head the California Health and Human Services Agency. As HHSA secretary, Ghaly, 44, of South Pasadena, will help lead the administration's efforts to advance the governor's health care agenda, including proposals to lower prescription drug costs, provide coverage to young undocumented adults through Medi-Cal, and help...

April is here and it’s officially Child Abuse Prevention Month! We are so excited to see what amazing things are planned throughout the month to celebrate children and families! Tell us about your CAP Month activities and share photos by emailing OCAP@dss.ca.gov , and we will highlight them on our website at the end of April! Reminder: Throughout the month of April, we ask that everyone wear blue, take photos, and post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #PassthePinwheel , #WearBlue4Kids...

Are you lacking work-life balance, feeling burnt out, suffering from staff turnover and need a positive boost? If this is you, then don’t miss this FREE one-time event, occurring on April 10th! The Office of Child Abuse Prevention is excited to present the full day workshop “ A Healthier, Happier You: Manage Stress, Prevent Burnout & Live a Resilient Life ” with Dr. Susan Biali Haas, renowned author, life coach, and medical doctor. Dr. Biali Haas will share the story of how she overcame...

Join us! Offered April 9th or May 7th in Sacramento California! Addressing Social and Emotional Learning by using research-based, behavior-focused strategies for staff, students & families, building resilience in our schools and communities. Anxiety and depression in students is running rampant. Workplace stress for educators and staff as well as rising litigation costs for schools are also top concerns for communities across the country. How can we reduce tension and improve how staff,...

The HEARTS team met folks from Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ) in April last year when they contacted us about AB2701 , a bill that sought to create a state-wide grant program for providers of school-based trauma services using the HEARTS program approach as a model. Dr. Joyce Dorado and I worked with the team just before it was presented and I was excited to testify at a hearing about the bill. I went to Sacramento the day before to see another hearing taking place, and spent...

In Acacia WoodsChan’s ethnic studies class at Castlemont High School in Oakland, California, students chat with each other in Spanish, Arabic and Mam, a Mayan language from Guatemala. The students have only been in the U.S. for a few weeks or months. Some are from Yemen and many are from countries in Central America — Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Last year, WoodsChan became concerned when she started hearing the Spanish-speaking students laugh when their classmates spoke Mam or...

California has long been seen as a leader on climate change. The state’s history of aggressive action to reduce air pollution, accelerate the use of renewable energy and speed the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy has inspired governments around the world to set more ambitious climate goals. But there is trouble on the horizon, and California’s climate leadership is at risk. Across most of the state’s economy, greenhouse gas emissions have been trending steadily down. But...

Along with books and backpacks, the teens who walk through the hallways of Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles also carry secrets and fear. Some have seen moms or dads arrested or taken away by immigration agents during early morning raids. They've watched as loved ones and friends were gunned down or stabbed to death on the sidewalks in front of where they live. Others dread going home to an adult who hurts instead of heals. Trauma, depression and anxiety weigh heavily...