Committed planning team members met bi-weekly, beginning December 2, 2021, in preparation for the four-part Trauma-Informed Learning Community series which launched in San Diego, California, with Session #1 on May 20th. This series brought together seventy-five cross-sector service providers, agencies, and schools who work with teens, transitional-age youth, and families and was hosted by Diego Hills Central. The series would not have been the success that it is without Area Superintendent Lindsay Reese’s steadfast leadership, who supported the series through providing staff time, food, color copies of materials, and the Street Team, Learn4Life student interns from several schools in San Diego County. Thank you to Diego Hills Central Principal Lisa Youngflesh and Assistant Principal Tammy Friedeck, for generously providing the space.
Planning team members were, Learn4Life Community Liaisons Priscilla Cortez and Carlos Solorio, Community Liaison San Diego Mission Academy Linda Ketterer, Learn4Life Lead Counselor Ana Quintella, Learn4Life Regional Social Worker Erika Kyte, Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (REC) Director Gabriel Nunez-Soria, PACEs Science Statewide Facilitator, Dana Brown, and Community Partners Robert Forte & Amanda Brown.
Planning team on May 20, 2022.
Planning team on August 26, 2022.
Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) Director, Gabriel Nunez-Soria and PACEs Science Statewide Facilitator, Dana Brown, facilitated a 2-hour Foundations of PACEs Science and Trauma-Resilient Practices training on May 20th.
Launch of Session #1 on May 20, 2022.
Following, attendees were invited to break-out rooms with the same question, “What is something that has broken your heart, or someone you love, and you want your voice to impact change?” With the four-hour, monthly series building trust and a beloved community, attendees were invited to break-out rooms, with guided questions, for think tanks on equity-focused solutions and calls to action.
Honoring the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimous vote that Racism is a Public Health Crisis in San Diego County, attendees prepared for their engagement with high-level policy- and decision-makers across sectors during Session #4 on August 26, 2022.
Dana Brown facilitated an overview of systemic racism in San Diego County, California, and the United States during Session #3 on July 26, 2022.
Kwofi Reed, CEO, Habitat for Humanity, gave a presentation on affordable housing in San Diego County through data, redlining, and inequities.
Following, [folks] were invited to have think tank on the sector they’re passionate about in preparation for the Calls to Action on equity-focused solutions on August 26, 2022. With intentional transparency, the high-level policy- and decision-makers received 100% of the think tanks with the specific questions they would be asked (see attached).
San Ysidro Health team
Robert Forte speaking
Our esteemed high-level policy- and decision-makers were Dr. Kimberly Giardina, Director of Child Welfare HHSA, Barbara Jimenez, Community Operations Officer, Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities, HHSA, (virtually) Yael Koenig, Deputy Director and (virtually) Dr. Luke Bergmann, Assistant Director, Children, Youth, Family Behavioral System of Care, HHSA, Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, San Diego Unified School District Board Member, Monique Carter, Chief Deputy of Training & Development /Supervisor of Fresh Start & Collaborative Courts, Public Defender’s Office, and Deona Dorsey, Program Lead, San Diego Workforce Partnership during Session #4 on 8.26.22.
Dr. Kimberly Giardina, Director of Child Welfare, HHSA
Barbara Jimenez, Community Operations Officer, Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities, HHSA
Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, San Diego Unified School District Board Member, shared how the San Diego Unified School District is integrating trauma-informed practices.
Monique Carter, Chief Deputy of Training & Development /Supervisor of Fresh Start & Collaborative Courts, Public Defender’s Office
Deona Dorsey, Program Lead, San Diego Workforce Partnership
The Street Team’s civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy was exemplified during Session #4. Our Learn4Life students from several schools in San Diego County asked the prepared questions extracted from attendees’ dialogue and think tanks throughout the Series. High-level policy- and decision-makers received all the materials and questions prior to August 26th. Our symbiotic opportunity was an invitation for them to also have an “ask” with the attendees for continued engagement with their sector(s). Attendees expressed gratitude for the innovative series and interest in continuing the collaboration. The deep-rooted work will continue with an invitation to join the DiverseCityHeights Alliance which will re-launch in October, 2022, and the San Diego County Cooperative of Communities.
