Promoting Healthy Alternatives to LA’s Food Deserts

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In early February, Children’s Institute held a Family Health Fair in South Los Angeles with the goal of promoting simple ways to live a healthier life to the children and families CII serves. The event sought to expand access to preventative health care while making activities like visiting the dentist or eating plant-based meals more palatable.

Held at CII’s Figueroa Center and sponsored by the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation, the fair brought together 21 community organizations that spanned different health and wellness fields. Community partners like UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic, Benevolence Health Center Inc., and Dignity Health, offered free screenings for dental, vision and blood pressure. Zumba and yoga courses were held throughout the day and wellness tools like electric tooth brushes and fitness trackers were raffled off.

As the day progressed, the importance of regular medical and dental checkups was discussed, but many attendees, volunteers and community organizers kept coming back to one area that was crucial to preventative health and wellness – a balanced diet.

CII works to reduce food deserts in South LAVegan tamales were served by Claudia Lopez and her restaurant Mama’s International Tamales.

Justine Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start at CII, said South LA offers few options when it comes to healthy eating. She said fast food restaurants are often the only option in these neighborhoods and the impact takes a toll on families living in food deserts.

“If you drive around this community, you are going to be hard pressed to find a grocery store that has fresh food,” she said. “We have a lot of children coming into our program struggling with obesity.”

Large swaths of South LA are considered food deserts. The term, created in the 1990s, describes urban areas that lack grocery stores where residents can buy fresh foods like fruits and vegetables. The United States Department of Agriculture has released multiple studies showing that there are large parts of South LA where fast food or processed food are the only available options.

Ongoing studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to a clear connection between negative long-term health effects in areas where fresh food is limited. As a result, higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure have been reported in these areas.

If you drive around this community, you are going to be hard pressed to find a grocery store that has fresh food.

– Justin Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start at CII

Angel Gaines, Site Supervisor for Compton Early Head Start, said she personally struggled with high blood pressure. She grew up in South LA food deserts and didn’t start eating healthy until after join CII and learning about maintaining a balanced diet.

Gaines said an important part of working with children and families is encouraging a healthy lifestyle that includes fresh food. As Gaines promoted physical activity by leading Zumba and yoga courses at the Family Health Fair, she said families are often unaware of the potential negative consequences when they eat only processed foods.

“When we have high blood pressure or diabetes, it is usually caused by what we are eating,” she said.

Olga, who has been attending CII programs since her daughter Sophia was 3 months old, said she appreciated how CII promotes cost-effective ways to make healthy meals while living in food deserts. She said she was able to cook food that is healthy without abandoning family recipes tied to her own Hispanic heritage.

“It opens up a door for people who may not want just raw vegetables,” she said. “Tamales are part of our culture, but they can be vegetarian or vegan.”

Claudia Lopez took this philosophy and turned it into a business. Her restaurant, Mama’s International Tamales, was at the Family Health Fair serving vegan tamales with vegetarian sides.

CII shares alternatives to food deserts in South LAStaff from CII’s Early Childhood Education display healthy alternatives to chips and candy as after school snacks. 

“I felt our community needed more health-based food options,” she said. “It is easy to substitute healthier ingredients like jack fruit or stop cooking with lard.”

Lopez views her restaurant, located in MacArthur Park, as an opportunity to educate people on how cultural foods like tamales can stay delicious while also being healthy. She said people often try her tamales and say they are shocked it was vegan.

Edgar, a parent visiting the Family Health Fair with his three children, said he would have never guessed the food from Mama’s International Tamales were vegan. He said he was drawn to the tamales aroma at the food booth after only being at the fair for a few minutes.

As a parent, Aguila has noticed a positive shift toward healthier eating. He said it is easy as a parent in South LA to get into a routine of eating too much fast food. He was thankful to see cost effective balanced eating promoted by CII and other community organizations.

“We raised our kids on McDonald’s for years, but now we’re more into cooking at home with kale, arugula and cauliflower,” he said. “Eating well is a big factor in growing up healthy and not getting sick.”

As many pointed out at the event, long-term success for South LA is continuing to expand the number of healthy food options while keeping costs low.

The average household income for neighborhoods in this area range between $33,000-$45,000 according to data published by the LA Times. Spending $10-$15 for a quick and healthy meal, which is often the cost in Santa Monica or West Hollywood, is not within the budgets of most residents in South LA.

Lakisha May, a field marketer for fast food startup Everytable, was offering up an example on how businesses can better serve residents of South LA food deserts and stay profitable. May said Everytable has a sliding scale for menu items. In South LA, Everytable items cost less than at their restaurants in other parts of the city where average incomes are higher.

For South LA to eat healthier, having affordable options will be crucial.

“It is different for people with less resources,” May said.

Thank you to event support from: Herbalife Nutrition Foundation; Mama’s International Tamales; CII Intensive Programs; LA Public Library; CII PowerUp!; CII Project Fatherhood; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC; CII PABC; CII PFF, P&A; UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic; Eyeglass Store of OC; CII ERSEA; Benevolence Health Centers, Inc.; CII ECS; Dignity Health; Susan G. Komen; California WIC; Fun Dental 4 Kids; AltaMed.

Building Skills One Robot at a Time

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Students from Chaminade College Prep brought robotics back to CII’s PowerUp! after-school program last week in what will be a monthly program at the Otis Booth Campus. The series aims to expand involvement of fourth through seventh graders in STEAM subjects by partnering with eager high school robotic students ready to share their knowledge.

The PowerUp! program at CII works with children facing adversity in Los Angeles by providing curriculum and activities that will enable them to succeed in school, at home and in the community. When the students from Chaminade’s robotics team, called Eagle Engineering, visited PowerUp! in the fall to present about robotics competitions, the group saw potential for a longer-term partnership. This would include PowerUp! kids learning to build and code their own robots.

Through two fundraisers, Eagle Engineering raised enough money to start a robotics program at PowerUp!. They purchased kits for two different robots that came with software to program commands for the machines. With the purchases, the group committed to leading monthly classes for the remainder of the school year.

Chaminade and Childrens InstituteA student from Chaminade College Prep goes over direction with a CII client as they work to assemble the robotic kit.

At their first meeting, many of the kids had little to no experience writing program code for robot commands, but by the end of the class, the kids were celebrating as their newly built robots mastered new activities like wheeling around the room or picking up a water bottle with a mechanical arm.

Christina Gideon, Senior at Chaminade College Prep and Vice President of Business Operations with Eagle Engineering, said he appreciated the opportunity to share his experience in robotics with a younger generation.

“I like working with the kids and seeing where they need to learn more,” Gideon said. “It is definitely awesome to see how much they already know,” he said.

Two kids benefiting from Gideon’s guidance were fourth grader Hector and seventh grader Katheryn. After figuring out how to program movements on the robotic arm, Hector and Katheryn paused for a moment to figure out how to write code for the remote control.

There will be millions more jobs created in this field and we currently don’t have enough people for them.

-Tommy Smeltzer, Robotic Program Director at Chaminade College Prep

“It is kind of hard and frustrating,” Hector said.

Katheryn looked to Eagle Engineering Business Manager Yiwen Zhao who was standing nearby. He pointed to a section of the code that might be tripping the kids up. Hector and Kathryn swapped ideas and eventually typed in some code that worked.

Other students from Eagle Engineering helped guide the kids through physically assembling the robotic parts. At two tables, the kids spent time screwing together pieces and testing wheels.

Kaylee, a sixth grader, took a break from assembling the robots with fifth grader Matthew. Kaylee said she was having fun while building new skills she would use later in school. She said her code being used to make the robot move around the room was her favorite part.

“I enjoyed the whole thing because I learned new stuff about computer science,” she said.

Chaminade Prep CII RoboticsVice President of Eagle Engineering Christina Gideon looks over CII clients as they write code for the robots.

Robotics Program Director Tommy Smeltzer said students are motivated to partner with kids at CII. They believe they are making an investment in bringing more diversity to STEAM fields. He said any of these kids could pursue a career in a STEAM field.

“We can’t continue to fill important roles in STEAM if we are not pulling from a balanced swath of our population,” he said. “There will be millions more jobs created in this field and we currently don’t have enough people for them.”

In the last decade, there has been a growing emphasis on STEAM courses and careers. According to Pew Research Center, STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, has seen a 79% increase in job growth since 1990. The career field is expected to grow steadily over the next decade. That same Pew study also found that on average, STEAM careers make 26% more than similarly educated non-STEAM careers.

Nawal Salim, Experiential Learning Manager at CII who oversees PowerUp! programming, said a robotics partnership was a natural fit. As an after-school program that works with kids facing adversity and toxic stress in Los Angeles, the program helps to grow self-esteem while supporting kids as they cope with trauma.

We’re trying to keep kids motivated academically and find value in learning.

-Nawal Salim, Experiential Learning Manager at CII

In addition to robotics, the program has given kids access to lessons in yoga, electronic music production and ballet. While fun for the kids, each has a strong educational component.

“We’re trying to keep kids motivated academically and find value in learning,” she said. “They may not see the importance of math as a subject, but can understand its purpose while building a robot.”

While pleased with what will be accomplished with the robotics program, Salim said she is looking forward to future additions to PowerUp! that will bring other new experiences to the kids in the program.

Children’s Institute’s Top Moments of 2018

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This month, we took a moment to pause and look back at a few highlights from Children’s Institute this past year. In 2018, we adopted an ambitious strategic plan that will double the number of children and families we serve over the next 10 years. As part of this strategic plan, we spent last year expanding services focused on supporting children and families facing adversity across Los Angeles. This included launching a new initiative in Watts supporting children and families exposed to gun violence. We also looked for ways to bring new experiences to kids in our programs like attending a theatre performance, camping or building their first bike.

Like previous years, our successes in 2018 were powered by the strong support of our greater LA community. Events were supported, attended and hosted by amazing volunteers and in-kind items were donated by local CII friends and businesses. The donors who fund crucial CII services continued to support our organization with a record number of gifts. We ended the year on a high note by raising almost $1 million at our inaugural Cape & Gown Gala on November 14 when we honored child advocates Beth & Bob Lowe along with Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry.

We’ve already started working to make an even bigger impact in 2019, and we’ll keep you updated along the way.

Supplied for Success

We celebrated our four year-old Head Start graduates with a back-to-school event ensuring a successful transition to kindergarten. The children received backpacks filled with school supplies provided by Age of Learning.

“It has always been our goal to achieve school readiness for our children and their families. The backpack donation ensures our children starting kindergarten have all the essentials,” says Justine Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start, CII.

The Healing Power of the Arts

Youth from our Individualized Transitional Skills Program  and Santee Education Complex were treated to a performance of Daniel Beaty’s “emergency” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The one-man show featured poetry, music and humor as Beaty played an array of characters coping with the effects of trauma. Read more about the event.

Supporting Children Exposed to Gun Violence

We launched a new initiative in partnership with the LA City Attorney’s Office and LAPD to support children in Watts who have been exposed to gun violence. The REACH TEAM ensures children and families in Watts receive appropriate and timely crisis intervention and support services through Children’s Institute and partner organizations. Read more about the partnership.

Gears for Kids

Our annual Gears for Kids event went off without a hitch thanks to our partners at Haworth.  Partners from 24 major design firms built bikes with kids from our Power-Up after-school program. Each kid got to take their bike home at the end of the day. In-N-Out Burger sent a food truck keeping our kids and volunteers energized.

Happy Campers

We held our 8th annual Camp Booth retreat at Booth Ranches in Fresno where kids got to spend time in nature and build camaraderie. Youth got to see a movie under the stars, interact with horses and make s’mores. Camp Booth was hosted by former board member and longtime supporter Loren Booth.

UCLA Career Day Opens Horizons for Youth

Our Power Up after-school program youth joined us for our first College & Career Day. The event was hosted by the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. Kids created resumes and figured out the skills they will need to make their dream jobs a reality. UCLA students and alumni also spoke to the kids about their unique college and career paths.

Cape & Gown Gala Raises $1.3 million for Services

Children’s Institute welcomed 400 guests to the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica to honor Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry at the first ever Cape & Gown Gala. The event raised close to $1 million for Children’s Institute’s programs. Read more about this successful event.

Early Head Start Expands to Compton

CII opened its first Early Head Start Program in Compton. Serving 140 infants and toddlers, the program provides crucial services to set kids up for future success. To celebrate the grand opening, CII invited kids, families and community members to an event with food and music.

A New Home in Long Beach

The day after we celebrated the new Compton Early Head Start, CII headed further south to celebrate the grand opening of our Long Beach center. The award-winning 20,000 square foot hub was designed by DSH // architecture.

Winter Family Festival Spreads Holiday Cheer

In December, we hosted our annual Winter Family Festival. The event opened our Otis Booth Campus to more than 2,500 children and families. The day included special holiday moments for kids including storytelling, arts and crafts and cupcake decorating. There was also an obstacle course and lots of giveaways for children and families who take part in CII’s programs.

Working as a Team

More than 30 CII staff members finished up the year by completing in the rigorous LASpartan Race. With several stunning displays of teamwork, the group pushed the limits as they climbed over barriers and swung through rope courses to finish as a team. Those who compete in Spartan races demonstrate a camaraderie towards other participants, embrace the challenge of the unknown and set out to prove they can accomplish difficult things. Mission accomplished.

Want to learn more about CII?

Read our 2018 Annual Report and Impact Report.

Make a difference in the lives of children and families exposed to adversity and poverty by making an end-of-year donation this holiday season.

 

Dr. Todd Sosna Named Chief Program Officer at Children’s Institute

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We’re pleased to announce that Todd Sosna, Ph.D. has been named Children’s Institute’s Chief Program Officer effective today.

In this new role, Dr. Sosna will lead all Early Education, Behavioral Health, Family Strengthening and Community Innovations programs for the agency, overseeing a budget of more than $70 million and a staff of 800.

Dr. Sosna has served as Interim Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Children’s Institute since April 2018 and held the role of Senior VP for Program Evaluation and Improvement from 2012 to 2014.

“Over the past eight months, Dr. Sosna has demonstrated strong leadership, collaboration and accountability, and has fostered strong morale throughout the reorganization of our clinical and community programs. We currently have the unique opportunity to unify our broad array of services to achieve lasting impact for the children and families we serve, and I am confident Dr. Sosna is the best suited candidate for this crucial role,” said Martine Singer, President & CEO, Children’s Institute.

“As Chief Program Officer, I look forward to strengthening CII’s position as a leader in child trauma, behavioral health and early education, and deepening partnerships with other community-based organizations, funders and policymakers,” said Dr. Sosna, Chief Program Officer, Children’s Institute.

Dr. Sosna’s prior positions have included Senior VP of Operations for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, Deputy Director for the California Institute for Mental Health and Assistant Director for Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services. He is known for developing Santa Barbara County’s nationally recognized multi-agency Integrated Children’s System of Care, advancing California’s large scale dissemination of evidence-based practices, leading child welfare and juvenile justice reforms, and establishing early childhood mental health programs in partnership with Head Start agencies.

Dr. Sosna earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Washington State University in 1991, and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

CII hosts first ever College & Career Day

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On Saturday, Children’s Institute partnered with the UCLA Volunteer Center & UCLA Latino Alumni Association to create PowerUp!’s first ever College & Career Day. The event benefited more than thirty children at our Otis Booth Campus. 

PowerUp! is an after school program designed to support children living in areas of elevated family and community violence and exposure to traumatic events. Youth, ages 7 to 10 at program intake, received a trauma-informed, fully integrated array of youth development, family support, and behavioral health services. Through twice-weekly after-school programs, monthly special events, and an annual summer camp, PowerUp! helps youth develop effective communication and coping skills, reduce risky behaviors, and lower symptoms of traumatic stress. Additionally, caregivers may attend workshops and family events.

With PowerUp!’s program focus in mind (especially around youth development), UCLA Volunteer Center’s 10th Anniversary and Hispanic Heritage Month coinciding together, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association was excited to support our nonprofit that serves 77% Latino children and families once more. With conversations and planning starting at the beginning of June the day was full of excitement with plenty of activities to keep our students engaged.

Children's Institute hosts first ever College & Career Day with UCLA Alumni group

The day started with a warm volunteer orientation filled with donuts and coffee to get our sixteen UCLA Volunteers (undergraduates and alumni) prepped and ready for a fast-paced, high energy day with our Power Up! students. When volunteer groups visit us for one-day events our Volunteer & Engagement Team give an overview of our services, ways to stay engaged, how to work with youth and most importantly, how to have fun together. After a short orientation and instructions on the two roles they would play (speaker and one-on-one mentor), volunteers were brought into our “Big Room” to join over thirty-five PowerUp! students for our opening introductions.

For our opening introduction, Stephanie Argueta, our PowerUp Program Supervisor, welcomed a full classroom of youth to their first College & Career Day. After a quick overview of the day and introductions, students were taught UCLA’s famous cheer, The 8-Clap.

Then students broke into rotations to hear how current UCLA undergraduates and Alumni made their way to college and found their career paths. Students asked great questions that included what problems students and alumni were currently or had already solved in their personal and professional journeys.

College & Career Day brings UCLA Alumni group to kids facing trauma and adversity

Two rotations of listening to undergraduate and alumni stories later, our PowerUp! children, alumni and students joined back again in The Big Room for a game of College Bingo, “I’m Going to College” photos and UCLA hand removable tattoos. Students and volunteers utilized this opportunity to fuel their brains with hearty snacks, but also to create rapport with one another. A UCLA Alumni Volunteer said, “There is a lot of disconnect from High School to College. Students need positive role models to talk to them about how to go to college and what skills they need for certain careers. There are several things that go on behind the scenes that are important for them to know.  It’s never too early to learn about the college process, especially to receive positive reinforcement along the way.”

After their break, PowerUp! youth and volunteers entered their last rotation of the day, which included writing and editing their elementary-friendly resumes. PowerUp! youth prior to this event have been preparing their own resumes, conceptualizing what their first job will be and the skills they will need to succeed. PowerUp! youth and volunteers worked together to perfect their resumes and jump start their goals and aspirations.

The last activity of the day brought everyone back into the Big Room to do a raffle. Lucky PowerUp! youth who won received UCLA Latino Alumni Association cinch bags that said, “OrgullOSO de ser Bruin” translating to Proud to be a Bruin, with several other UCLA goodies such as stickers, pens and a water bottle. After our raffle, students and alumni said thank you and goodbye to each other after a final collective 8-Clap.

College & Career Day at Children's Institute opens new opportunities to youth

When asked to share their thoughts about their experiences, one PowerUp! student said, “I learned that you need to work hard to go to college” and that “computer scientists have a cool job.” Another equally enthusiastic student said that he learned “that there are many opportunities in college and that you can’t give up.” After the day, students were asked to reflect on their strengths and name a few things that they like about themselves. One student said that she likes that she is “smart, kind, beautiful and passionate.” A father from Project Father said “my daughter’s education is very important for me, which is the reason that I came to this event today. She wants to be a teacher and loves school. I hope she achieves her dreams.” His daughter has been in PowerUp! for two years.

The day served over 35 PowerUp! Youth, with 16 UCLA Alumni volunteering from various networks, including the UCLA Latino Alumni Association, current undergraduate students and special UCLA Alumni guest, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, ’96. Overall, the UCLA Volunteer Center reported an estimated 18,767 hours contributed this year at a rough value of $463,000 to the communities at over 70 sites around the world. This year’s projects took place at schools and homeless shelters, veteran sites and food banks, with estimates of 2,681 total volunteers among the 52 projects in Los Angeles County and the 18 additional locations from San Diego to Washington D.C., Namibia to Taiwan and of course, at CII’s Otis Booth Campus in Echo Park.

Camp Booth Brings the Outdoors to Los Angeles Kids

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Now in its 8th year, Camp Booth is an annual camping trip for youth in our school aged programs held at Booth Ranches near Fresno. The weekend retreat is made possible by former board member and longtime supporter Loren Booth.

The trip started as a way to expose children to new experiences in nature with their peers. The impact of poverty and childhood adversity can limit opportunities for weekend outings like camping, and research shows that the development and growth experienced by youth on weekend outings can be transformative.

With bags packed, youth prepared to head north for a weekend in nature on Friday, October 5.

CII’s Watts Campus served as base camp. After being dropped off by family members, each camper was assigned a blue, green, red or pink t-shirt, which designated each child’s specific team for the weekend. Aside from a few siblings, most of the kids going to Camp Booth did not know each other at the beginning of the weekend.

Nestled in California’s Central Valley, Booth Ranch is near a picturesque river. Serving as a commercial citrus grove, the ranch also has horses and cattle. The campers, who had never been to a ranch before, had numerous questions about horses, livestock and fishing.

Along with the sights, a full schedule of activities ensured youth would get the most out of their weekend. A few of the highlights included petting horses, catching fish on the Booth Ranch pond and making s’mores by a campfire.

“I liked meeting the horses because I have never been that close to a horse,” one youth said at the end of the weekend.

Finding ways to overcome challenges

In addition to being a lot of fun, each of the activities helped the children learn and grow. Campers were split into four different groups where they learned to work together. Activities like catch, kiss and release fishing taught patience and an obstacle course showed perseverance.

One activity that was especially memorable for youth involved passing around a glowing soccer ball. On the first night, campers took turns with the ball as they shared their biggest fears for the weekend. Kids said they worried about things like missing home, not making friends and encountering bears. The campers then wrote down their fears and threw them into the campfire.

On the last night, they took the same ball and shared their highlights from camp. As many passed around the ball, they noticed the fears they had going into camp never happened.  Campers got to experience firsthand the importance of overcoming fears to have meaningful experiences.

Allison Reidy, CII’s Development Coordinator and Camp Booth counselor, said it was great to see how kids grew over the weekend. She said some of youth were very shy to start the weekend while others were overly energetic.

“As the weekend progressed, the girls started to open up and make friends while the boys seemed to behave and listen to their counselors,” she said. “Above all, they got to be free and enjoy being kids.”

Learn more about CII programs that support school-aged children.

Support for Children Exposed to Gun Violence

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With orange balloons flanking the stage at our Watts campus, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, Children’s Institute and the Los Angeles Police Department announced the REACH TEAM, a new program to support children exposed to gun violence in the Watts community.

In 2017, there were approximately 110 calls made to LAPD in Watts reporting shots fired, with over 40% of the calls coming from local housing developments.

When gun violence occurs in a community, children are often witnesses to the event and its aftermath. The impact of gun violence exposure is associated with learning, health, emotional and behavioral issues, as well as substance abuse later in life. Early intervention and emotional and social support are key in preventing and healing the symptoms of trauma.

Setting the tone for the announcement, actor/poet/activist and Watts native Kyland Turner performed one of his original pieces of poetry.

Following his performance, Turner commented, “I’m 23 and I’ve lost more friends than I can count on both of my hands to violence and I don’t think that’s normal. I don’t think it’s normal to experience this thing of literally living in a war zone, and I had to find a way out. For me it was poetry, it was art, it was spoken word, it was writing.”

L to R: Kyland Turner, Actor/Poet/Activist; Yvette Martinez, Children’s Institute Administrative Assistant; Dennis Kato, Deputy Chief Operations-South Bureau, LAPD 

“Children deserve safe and secure childhoods, and when violence erupts into their lives, we have to step in and act, and that’s just what we are going to do,” said Feuer. “I have put Deputy City Attorney Lara Drino, who has years of experience working with abused children, in charge of our efforts to work with our partners to intervene quickly and effectively to reduce the long-term trauma children exposed to violence suffer.”

The REACH TEAM aims to ensure children and families exposed to gun violence receive appropriate and timely crisis intervention and support services through Children’s Institute and partner organizations.

“Children’s Institute is so pleased to be partnering with the City Attorney’s office and LAPD on this important initiative that is a natural extension of our work offering trauma-informed services and support to children and families in the Watts community and throughout Los Angeles. In addition to providing early intervention and follow up care through our REACH TEAM, we also hope to increase community awareness around the possible long-term effects of gun violence exposure and encourage outreach for support,” said Martine Singer, President & CEO, Children’s Institute.

“Shots fired in our community tear at the very fabric of our emotional security, especially for our children,” said Michel Moore, LAPD Chief of Police. “There is no excuse for a child in our city to be exposed to gun violence, and the Los Angeles Police Department will work diligently to ensure our most vulnerable residents are safe and supported.”

When a gunshot is reported in the Watts community, LAPD will assess the scene and notify the REACH TEAM, comprised of Children’s Institute staff, who will provide an initial crisis response to the families involved as soon as possible. From there, children identified for follow-up support will be referred to Children’s Institute to receive trauma-informed health services, as well as other family services and support.

Children’s Institute staff member Yvette Martinez closed the event with her personal account of growing up in South Los Angeles in the midst of gun violence. “Once you are connected to the effects of one bullet whether by sight, sound or because you knew the individual’s family, you are never the same. The support of my family has always kept me going. But once again I ask, ‘should we have to cope without professional help?'”

As a part of the program, the LA City Attorney’s office and Children’s Institute will regularly conduct community outreach within Watts schools, housing developments, community organizations and nonprofits. Children and families in Watts who have been exposed to gun violence in the past can also reach out for support.

This initiative has received guidance and support from the Watts Gang Task Force and The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

What Are Children Telling Us?

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It’s National Mental Health Awareness month, and I keep thinking about Antoine because I may have broken his heart.

Years ago I volunteered at a residential treatment center for foster children, in a cottage that housed ten young boys. They were “seriously emotionally disturbed,” the threshold classification for placement in that center. Most had survived multiple foster homes, sometimes punctuated by stays in psych hospitals, only to become “unplaceable” and almost certainly unadoptable.

During my weekly visits, some boys avoided me while others checked out the Pokémon cards or Legos I brought, only to wander off within minutes, endlessly distracted. But Antoine, 11, always sat by me, rapt and loyal. He built plastic cities, or painted his arms in Wonder bread polka dots, or listened to Harry Potter by the hour. Clever, powerful and entirely winning, Antoine had a monk-like focus, even when all hell broke loose in the cottage. He particularly loved an oversized book on the Titanic; we imagined life on every deck, the sound of the ocean, the smells of the boiler room (but never the ending). Antoine and I hung out in a corner of the common room every Tuesday, week after week. In that chaotic place, it was one thing we both could count on.

And then one day he wasn’t there: he had to spend the day in court. Before this third birthday he’d been taken from the custody of his grandmother because she extinguished cigarettes on his body and sexually abused him, but I didn’t know anything about his current status.

Meanwhile, emboldened by Antoine’s absence, 9-year old Shawn grabbed the Titanic book, sat with me for a while and soon lost interest.

The following week Antoine was back, but he refused to speak to me. I asked him why, I joked, I begged, and then gave up. The next week, same thing: wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t answer, wouldn’t touch anything I left behind for the boys to use. I asked his counselor what was going on, but he was calming a crying boy, inconsolable after losing a basketball game. I finally got Antoine’s attention long enough to apologize for sharing the Titanic book with another kid, but he never, ever spoke to me again. By April, he was gone, transferred to another group home.

What became of that extraordinary child, so keen, so persistent? His stubborn silence told me he was nothing like the other boys, that he was proud, vigilant, in control. Perhaps by sharing my time and his book with the other boy I had betrayed him, like so many others with whom he’d felt just a little bit safe. Who knows how many adults broke him, even after his physical scars healed.

How do children communicate their pain? And are we listening?

One out of five children has a diagnosable mental disorder, and it’s estimated that 80 percent of foster children have significant mental health issues. Quiet kids like Antoine may not advertise their trauma history with antisocial behavior, but former foster youth in general are five times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population, and even exceed the rate for American war veterans.

The effects of trauma, especially complex and repeated trauma experienced by so many young people in foster care, are varied: dissociation, depression, anger and anxiety. Children may lack self-regulation and appear to overreact or underreact. Chronic stress affects cognition and executive functioning, and is a predictor for long-term physical health, as well as substance abuse and other suffering.

In celebration of National Mental Health Awareness month, let’s listen to children, without judgment, and remember how many are exposed to violence, in their homes and in their streets and schools. They are longing to trust, no matter what they say or do.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has excellent information and resources. To commemorate national Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s mend hearts, not break them.

 

This article was originally posted to The Huffington Post on 5/15/2017