Kaiser Permanente awards nearly $100,000 to advance mental health practices at Stagg High School in Stockton
As part of its ongoing commitment to improve access to mental health programs in the community and advance school-based wellness, Kaiser Permanente has awarded a $98,000 grant to expand the use of trauma-informed practices at Stagg High School in Stockton with a range of mental health related services and training for school staff, teachers and students.
The award to Delta Health Care, which operates a campus-based health center at Stagg High School, is one of 18 grants Kaiser Permanente is providing to community-based organizations that will reach 21 public middle schools or high schools across northern California. All the schools being served are in high-need communities where 50 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduce-priced lunch programs.
The $1,755,000 in Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit grants will reach nearly 3,700 students and school employees.
The Delta Health Care grant will provide mental health services to students and staff at Stagg High through the campus health center, a program which has been co-sponsored by Delta Health Care for 20 years. The grant funds a full-time mental health clinician who will begin the work of promoting a culture of resilience at the school.
“The ability to increase counseling hours and provide full-time mental health services is something we have always wished for at Stagg High School,” said Deanna Staggs, MS, PPS, the Delta Health Care school-based program manager. “Having the opportunity to expand our services to staff is very exciting and a new endeavor for the health center. We can proudly state that the Stagg Healthy Start Center is the only school-based health center in San Joaquin County providing comprehensive counseling services to both students and staff.”
Over the past four years, Kaiser Permanente has provided more than $3.2 million in grants to help increase trauma screening, augment mental health and support services for youth, expand and strengthen medical and social service referral systems, and increase understanding among the public health community about the signs and symptoms of trauma.
“Research confirms that trauma not only impacts the long-term and short-term health of individuals. The ripple effect is evident in communities that are at greater risk for violence, poverty and chronic illness,” said Yener Balan, MD, FAPA, executive director of Behavioral Health in Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
“So these grants could potentially have a positive impact on more than 20,000 people while continuing our commitment to advancing trauma-informed care and our longtime work in schools with a focus on what we want to achieve: resilience,” said Dr. Balan.
“The impact we can have with these grants really comes down to breaking down some of the stigma around mental health services and helping people learn to care for themselves, so they can heal and go on to lead successful, productive lives,” said Balan. “Kaiser Permanente’s support will have an immeasurable but tangible impact for generations to come.”
For more information, visit Kaiser Permanente Community Health/a>. To learn more about Thriving Schools, visit kp.org/thrivingschools.
