In early January 2020, Center for Youth Wellness was featured in San Francisco Chronicle: “Bay Area doctors target health consequences of childhood trauma.” The tool that CYW researchers and doctors helped test and develop will help doctors statewide address trauma affecting patients’ health. As of January 1st, the tool’s use is covered by Medi-Cal, and it will be available to pediatricians at 8,800 California clinics.
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (CYW Founder and now Surgeon General of California), shared “I feel like this is a turning point in modern medicine, to recognize and respond to trauma as a root cause of acute and long-term health problems…This work is truly historic.”
Furthermore, the CYW Team recently published an impact report “Looking Back Facing Forward” – with many great stories and examples of impact and the way forward, including CYW’s intentionality of being more than just a screening tool, and actually building community capacity. CYW shares “The key to our capacity-building work is our bottom-up approach. We work hand in hand with community members to remove obstacles and tailor a solution that works for them.” This is for example, reflected in the success of their feasibility study in Detroit and community design sessions in Fresno and Bayview-Hunters Point.
Also, “Since its launch in 2018, CYW’s Stress Health public education initiative has reached over 32.6 million people, raising awareness of ACEs and toxic stress across the country focusing specifically on parent and caregiver populations. CYW’s social communities grew by 18.3% over the past year.”
The Center for Youth Wellness was selected by SV2 as a Grantee during the Early Life Grant Round in 2019. SV2’s total grant award of $115,000 to CYW was matched, translating into a $230,000 impact. CYW’s Lead Partners are Deb Dauber and Kelly Pope – both getting great reviews from CYW about their support and guidance – including help thinking through their role beyond research to implementation science, crafting a job opening, and overall being helpful advisors as needed. CYW also shares how the site-visit experience with SV2 Partners helped them build a new strategic direction.
In the continued words of CYW to you / their supporters: “You’ve helped open the door to healing this year!”