On May 9th and 10th, more than 500 educators, providers, advocates and other leaders joined us for the 2019 California School-Based Health Conference in Redondo Beach. It was a remarkable two days, and I was delighted and inspired to see so many of you there! We’re proud of the work you are doing with young people and the ongoing growth in school-based and school-linked health centers. And we are honored to play a role in bringing this field together to share best practices, reignite our passion for this work, and care for ourselves and each other.
On day 1, over 150 attendees joined us for the pre-conference event Bringing the Clinic to You, which included a panel discussion with experts from mobile school-based health sharing insights about operating mobile clinics for students. After the panel presentation, attendees got a hands-on tour of mobile clinics from T.H.E. Clinic, COACH for Kids, Watts Health, CT Coachworks and the mobile van built by Odulair for the USC School of Dentistry—the largest mobile medical van in the US! This tour got rave reviews.
At our welcome reception, there was time to network, celebrate our field, and learn from poster presentations highlighting exciting research and leading innovations to serve youth and their communities.
On day 2, everyone in attendance was rapt with attention and emotion listening to keynote speaker Tia Martinez shed light on the school-to-prison pipeline. Her presentation tied together history, data, and personal stories to illuminate the polices, economic shifts, and school practices that are failing our boys and young men of color. Everyone wanted more and started the morning inspired in our collective action to build a school-to-wellness pipeline!
Workshops both days addressed everything from SBHC start-up to oral health, trauma and self-care, cannabis use and youth empowerment. We’ve heard from many of you that sessions on vaping, immigration, HIPAA/FERPA, trauma-informed care, and how to create healing school environments were especially salient.
Finally, on Saturday, CSHA, The LA Trust, and our Youth Boards hosted an incredible Y2Y Conference with 150 youth from LAUSD and San Francisco. Students learned from one another and some adult allies, shared their local efforts and projects, and strategized to change the world!
Thanks to our sponsors, exhibitors and presenters, and to The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health for co-hosting this year’s conference and providing staff support. And thanks to all of you!
If you aren’t already, please become a member of CSHA. We can’t continue to do this work successfully without you at every step of the way.
Best wishes from all of us for a healthy and safe summer!
In solidarity,
Tracy & the team at CSHA
