Children's Mental Health: Achieving Early Intervention and Equitable AccessThere is a critical shortage in the number of local professionals needed to treat the mental health needs of children in our community. And nonprofit staffs are themselves vulnerable and need support to remain in their fields. Those were two important take-aways from the Women’s Fund Grants in Action forum on mental health wellness for children and youth that was held on May 15 at the Ensemble Theatre. Three local nonprofit organizations reported on the impact of their combined $255,000 in Women’s Fund grants, and a panel of experts analyzed related issues. The featured grantees included: Storyteller Children’s Center, provider of quality education for pre-school children in adverse circumstances. Dr. Gabriella Garcia, Executive Director, and Jacqueline McDonough-Ryan, Program Director, reported that grant funds enabled them to increase the hours of an onsite family advocate. Jamie Collins, Executive Director of Girls, Inc. of Carpinteria, related how its two-year grant funded an onsite mental wellness coordinator for K-12 girls. According to Lisa Moschini, Vice President and Clinical Director, Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara, the grant helped her organization meet its objectives of cost-free access and timely prevention in bringing psychiatry and therapeutic services to children and adolescents. Moderated by Jon Clark, Executive Director, James S. Bower Foundation, the panel included leaders from each of the grantee institutions: - Dr. Garcia, Executive Director, Storytellers Children’s Center
- Ms. Collins, Executive Director, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria
- Terri Allison, Board Member, Girls Inc.
- Barry R. Schoer, President/CEO, Sanctuary Centers.
Dr. Samira Kayumi-Rashti, a Children’s Medical Center pediatrician, joined the discussion to share the medical perspective. |