Intending to expand mental health services in Los Angeles County schools, Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion Tuesday to incorporate a pre-existing mental health program within Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools.
Coauthored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, the motion, calling to design, implement and expand access to mental health and well-being services within LAUSD schools, was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
“As students return to school full time, the weight of the last year and a half still weighs on them mentally and emotionally,” Barger said in Tuesday’s press release. “This is a critical time to expand onsite mental health services to ensure youth can thrive both in the classroom and in daily life.”
The program currently provides services within 15 school sites including Compton Unified, Inglewood Unified, Pomona Unified and Antelope Valley Union High.
Wednesday’s motion intends to expand the Community Schools Initiative (CSI) by identifying communities and school districts with a high need for mental health services, like schools within the LAUSD.
The initiative involves a range of County resources directly within involved schools to “provide a hub to address the many inequities our youth should not have to face,” Solis said.
Having been initially passed in Jan. 2019, the initiative fostered collaboration between the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Los Angeles County Office of Education to address the project’s main goals of:
- Increasing school graduation rates
- Decreasing dropout rates
- Decreasing chronic absenteeism
- Reducing suspensions and expulsions
- Increasing family engagement
- Increasing social connectedness
To reach these goals, officials with the CSI have employed psychiatric social workers within schools and coordinated well-being activities both during school hours and outside of work hours, according to the CSI’s initial motion in 2019.
“The CSI has proven effective and, with the detrimental impacts on student mental health brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to continue and expand it to school campuses across Los Angeles County,” Solis said on Wednesday.
Amid the last year, countless schools and districts have requested additional mental health support, according to Wednesday’s motion.
Initially passed in January 2019, the initiative fostered collaboration between the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Los Angeles County Office of Education to provide access to mental health services. The initiative was then expanded in April 2019 to implement prevention-focused mental health services.
“Expansion of the LACOE Community Schools Initiative highlights our deep commitment to our students and a strong statement to our youth, their families and educators that their mental health and wellbeing are a top priority in L.A. County,” said Department of Mental Health Director Jonathan Sherin. “We must build out schools as trusted community platforms that facilitate access to resources supporting mental health and wellbeing. Our commitment to school districts across the county is unwavering.”
Santa Clarita Valley schools, not being part of the LAUSD, are not expected to be affected.
To read Supervisor Barger’s full motion, click here.
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment