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Decades after civil rights icons Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta brought worldwide attention to the plight of farm workers in California’s Central Valley , a new generation of activists are making an impact in the region — with the focus now on the myriad issues facing young people and efforts to get them involved in civic affairs. The issues — which include poverty, environmental justice, immigrant rights and the school-to-prison pipeline — are not new to the cities and towns that dot the...

A majority of Kern County students head back to class in less than a week and Thursday the county's Child Support Services hosted their ninth annual Ready-Set Back 2 School fair to help families and students prepare. Kern County Child Support Services fundraise all year to put on this growing event. Organizers said the amount of donations has grown from the 400 backpacks they offered on their first year to the 4,000 they do now. They hope this annual event continues to get even bigger. The...

The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced Thursday its new Certified Healthy program, through which participating restaurants that meet a stringent set of criteria will receive a special logo for their grading card and menu, indicating which items are considered healthy. “Kern County restaurants have, for years, required health certification in an operational sense,” Coughlin said. “This groundbreaking program takes public service a step further. It tells customers that the...

Working with a $500,000 state grant to the Bakersfield Police Department, the 3-C Program was started two years ago. A progress report on how that money has been used to reduce gang violence and build bridges between law enforcement and the people they serve and protect. To watch the in-depth report, Go HERE

Over the last few years, residents and community partners of Building Healthy Communities Kern have been working hard to bring positive changes to their communities. Any type of elected official–from city council member to mayor to senator to whatever–needs to really understand his or her constituents to best represent them. Ideally, the office holder should live in the same community as the families and folks they serve. Currently, KHSD has a serious problem when it comes to equitable...

Applications due June 18. Application link included in this post

The Call for Entries is now open for the 2018 CSAC Challenge Awards, which spotlight California Counties’ most innovative programs. These unique awards recognize the creative and committed spirit of our California Counties as they find new, cost-effective ways to provide programs and services to residents. Program Categories Administration of Justice & Public Safety – Includes programs associated with local law enforcement and public safety, adult and juvenile detention, and probation.

Most of you know that Advancing Parenting focuses not on trauma informed care, but on trauma informed primary prevention. This is just a reminder that our parenting tips bumper stickers are available to individuals free of charge and sets of the fifty-one stickers are $210. Businesses, organizations, and agencies are encouraged to place sets of the bumper stickers on tables and counters so patients, clients, and customers can grab one or two and put them on their cars. See the attachment.

Mindfulness Activity: Craigslist Confessional from CBS Sunday Morning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR704OudEUc

The effects of long lasting trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on children and adults has been documented in research for over 20 years. Since 2016, the Bakersfield Californian has highlighted the drastic impact of Toxic Stress on many of our Kern County citizens and communities that has substantially shortened people’s lives through diabetes, cancer, asthma, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide. Many of these conditions and experiences are linked to early childhood trauma that...

Registration is still OPEN for another week to the second annual Policymaker Education Day hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) in Sacramento on May 22nd! Don't miss this opportunity to be able to share your thoughts and expertise with your Assemblymember or Senator on how to address childhood adversity in your communities. Guest speakers include Assemblymember Dr. Arambula of Fresno County, Ted Lempert of Children Now and Sarah Pauter of Phenomenal...

The gleaming, $330,000, 40-foot-long behemoth, which came by way of Ohio, boasts two exam rooms, an ADA-compliant bathroom and a sleek, contemporary design. “This is an exciting new venture for public health,” Constantine said Tuesday while unveiling the new mobile clinic. “What is behind me this afternoon is more than a medical mobile clinic. This represents a significant shift in how Public Health responds to the community.” The bus will serve as a mobile clinic for public health staff to...