February 2017

It seems obvious that keeping kids in their home school with their peer group – a concept known as “school stability”– is a key ingredient in the recipe for academic success for students in foster care. Research shows that on average, children lose four to six months of learning each time they change schools. This is especially acute for high school students, who run into issues obtaining the credits they need to graduate or may have to re-take classes due to coursework alignment issues. For...

Over the past five years, a downtown-based nonprofit has bused more than 1,000 homeless people out of San Diego in hopes of reuniting them with friends and family. The Family Reunification Program — established in 2012 by the Downtown San Diego Partnership — gives homeless in downtown a free Greyhound bus ticket to anywhere in the nation if they can prove someone on the receiving end is willing to support them. Angela Wells, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit, said the group’s staff knows the...

Hello San Diego Community! On behalf of the San Diego Trauma Informed Guide Team, I would like to share an opportunity with you to contribute to the national discourse on improving the quality of life of children. The conversation at the National Governor’s Association will touch on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), two generation approaches, policies and programs to support children and their caregivers, and coordinating bodies to support collaboration across sectors (e.g. children's...

Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Sunday the San Diego Police Department ‘s focus will be on enforcing local laws “rather than immigration issues.” “San Diego’s policies have worked under Republican and Democratic administrations, and we have no plans to change them under this administration,” the mayor said in the satement. “SDPD keeps all members of our community safe regardless of their immigration status, and we will keep the department’s focus on enforcing local laws rather than immigration...

For Marta, joining Rwanda’s first female drumming troupe, Ingoma Nshya — a co-operative of formed 10 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi — has helped her cope with the trauma of losing her husband in the killings. Ingoma Nshya means a new drum or new kingdom. Marta’s remarkable recovery is captured in Sweet Dreams, an inspiring award-winning documentary about playwright and director Odile “Kiki” Katese, who brought together women from both sides of the genocide, first in 2005 to...

The time has come for us to seek out a realistic way to manage our worsening problem of people living on the streets of our city and to do so in a manner that best serves our city’s entire population of 1.35 million. With this in mind, we propose the establishment of “Camp Hope San Diego” on city-owned land adjacent to Brown Field. Camp Hope San Diego — the vision forward: • No homeless camping or loitering would be allowed anywhere in the city of San Diego, except within the jurisdiction of...

California’s new Senator, Kamala Harris , delivered her maiden speech on the Senate floor Thursday, addressing the contributions of immigrants to society. This is a transcript of her remarks. I rise today humbled to offer my first official speech as the junior United States senator from the great state of California. x I rise with a deep sense of reverence for this institution, for its history, and for its unique role as a defender of our nation’s ideals. Above all, I rise today with a sense...

What are ACEs? According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. They may also include household dysfunction such as witnessing domestic violence or growing up with family members who have substance use disorders. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, including those associated...

Are you an advocate for integrating trauma informed services and promoting resilience within the San Diego region? The San Diego Trauma Informed Guide Team adopted a new strategic plan in September 2016. As a result, four committees formed and they are diligently working to enhance the capacity of our communities to integrate trauma informed services into our systems and organizations. Additionally, we are drawing on the expertise of our members and continuing to grow in our knowledge...

There’s less violent crime now in San Diego than when Gerald Ford was President and the city was half its current size. That good news on crime was released by Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman and City Councilman Chris Cate at a press conference Tuesday prior to an official presentation to the City Council. Cate, who is chairs the City Council’s public safety committee, said community support for police and vigilance at the neighborhood level has been key to the falling...

Lincoln High dedicates new courtroom facility for mock trials, criminal justice classes | San Diego Unified Newscenter //--><![CDATA[//><!-- (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"]=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,"script","//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js","ga");ga("create", "UA-10591117-2",...

Roughly 200 families, about a thousand members in total, settled into San Diego’s neighborhoods, specifically El Cajon and City Heights. Upon arriving, these Syrian families are funneled into various motels. Some cases stayed as long as 50 days, while others resided for weeks at a time. Resettlement agencies are too overwhelmed to aid in this portion of the assimilation process. Heart4Refugees was launched to fill this loophole. The organization has helped about 41 families in City Heights,...