TMCnet News

Hanna Institute Awarded Major Grant From Well Being Trust for "Resilient Community Schools"
[August 23, 2019]

Hanna Institute Awarded Major Grant From Well Being Trust for "Resilient Community Schools"


The Hanna Institute, On The Move, and St. Joseph Health - Sonoma County were awarded a $234,783 grant for their new initiative, "Resilient Community Schools." This grant-from the Well Being Trust foundation-will support the three organizations in providing resilience-building services to multiple schools in Sonoma and Napa Counties.

The "Resilient Community Schools" program is intended to increase mental health services in schools. Jeff Frost and Laura Frost, expert consultants on California public education, said, "What we see and hear is the frustration of school leaders about lack of access to tools and funding to help students deal with mental health issues and promote wellness-especially for the most vulnerable children. Schools are directly connected to children who, day in and day out, are on school sites and present in classrooms. Schools need to have the services, skills and resources to identify, refer and if necessary, to intervene early."

Hanna Institute's director of research, Dr. Daniela Dominguez, recently conducted a survey and found that, "More than 75% of the principals who responded-across all school levels-cited students' 'social, emotional, and mental health' as a moderate or severe problem at their schools."

"Resilient Community Schools" begins in 2019-20 as part of a five-year program. In this first year, the collaborative will assess current resources, provide school staff trainings and host parent/caregiver education events focused on building basic knowledge and developing fluency around trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences and mindfulness practices. These events will be conducted in both English and Spanish at a minimum of six school pilot sites within Sonoma and Napa Counties.

Hanna's CEO, Brian Farragher, remarked, "Now that the 2017 wildfires have faded from the headlins and attention has turned elsewhere, too many people are feeling left alone to deal with the 'second disaster' of continued adversity, loss, conflict and further trauma. Given the current post-disaster environment in Napa and Sonoma Counties, many community members, especially Latinx families, are struggling to overcome their trauma and stress in order to thrive."



About Hanna Institute

The Hanna Institute is the part of Hanna that's out in the community building resiliency and strength in the wake of trauma. Established in 2016, the Hanna Institute has been a key step in leading Hanna into the next phase of its institutional aspirations: to become a leading therapeutic organization for youth, while sharing best practices, approaches and tactics with other youth-serving organizations. Since 2018, the Hanna Institute has provided training and ongoing consultancy and supervision for more than 1,000 local professionals in trauma prevention and treatment, increasing their skills to promote healing and growth in children and youth. www.hannainstitute.org


About On the Move

On the Move (OTM) was founded in 2004 with a mission to develop and sustain young people as leaders by building exceptional programs that challenge inequities in their communities. For the last 14 years, OTM has explored innovative approaches to close the achievement gap for children of color, promote wellness and inclusion, support youth in their transition into adult independence, and increase family self-sufficiency. Along with a strong portfolio of community and school-based programs, OTM operates a myriad of programs throughout the Bay Area that serve over 8,500 people annually, the majority of whom are at-risk youth and Latinx families. www.onthemovebayarea.org

About St. Joseph Health

St. Joseph Health Sonoma County's "Healthy for Life" program is a comprehensive school-based initiative designed to support schools with physical fitness, nutrition and mindful practice. Now going into its seventh year, the program has dedicated staff, evaluation systems in place, and partnerships with 21 schools, the Sonoma County Office of Education, numerous community partnerships, Health Action chapters, and foundations throughout Sonoma County. www.stjoesonoma.org/community-outreach/healthy-for-life/


[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]