Social & Emotional Wellness Initiative

TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES BY EDUCATION, MOTIVATING AND PROVIDING PREVENTION PROGRAMS THROUGH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLNESS SERVICES.

WE REACHED A MILESTONE WITH OUR MASTERS OF SOCIAL WORK (MSW) INTERN PROGRAM; WE PLACED OUR 100TH INTERN AT OUR PARTNER SITES. OUR MSW INTERN PROGRAM CONTINUES TO MEET THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES WHILE HELPING OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO YOUTH. OUR COHORT OF NINE INTERNS WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH CLIENTS IN PERSON. THEY SERVED OVER 300 YOUTH AND PROVIDED COUNSELING AND PROGRAMS THAT HELPED YOUTH TO BUILD RESILIENCE, WHILE PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPATHY. "I LIKED HOW I GOT TO EXPRESS HOW I FELT WITHOUT BEING WORRIED ABOUT GETTING JUDGED. I ALSO LIKED HOW SHE (MSW INTERN) WAS BY MY SIDE THROUGH THICK AND THIN." -YOUTH CLIENT AT FOUR OF OUR PLACEMENT SITES, INTERNS FACILITATED OUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR YOUTH (SELFY) ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TEEN EDITION CURRICULUMS. WE ALSO PROVIDED TRAINING TO BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SAN MARCOS MSW INTERNS ON SOLUTION FOCUSED THERAPY AS WELL AS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CIRCLES SO THEY MAY BEST BE PREPARED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE YOUTH THEY SERVE.

TO MEET THE NEED FROM OUR PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES FOR MORE SUPPORT, WE PROMOTED OUR PART TIME STAFF TO FULL TIME. AS THE MANAGER OF PROGRAMS & IMPACT, SHE MANAGES OUR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND DATA COLLECTION. OUR SIX BOARD MEMBERS COME WITH EXTENSIVE BACKGROUNDS IN SOCIAL SERVICE, FINANCE, LAW AND HUMAN RESOURCES. WE ALSO HAVE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS. AS AN ORGANIZATION WHO HOLDS DEI AS A CORE VALUE, WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO DIVERSIFY OUR BOARD AND HOPE TO GROW OUR BOARD IN THE COMING YEAR. OUR BOARD MEMBERS CONTINUE TO BE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR WORK AND CAN ALWAYS BE DEPENDED ON TO NOT ONLY SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY, AT A GIVING RATE OF 100%, BUT ALSO SUPPORT OUR CREATIVITY AND MISSION.

THROUGH OUR STAFF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A CULTURE OF WELLNESS FRAMEWORK. PHASE 1 OF THIS FRAMEWORK IS TO PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONS WITH A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STAFF AND EDUCATORS WITH THE TOOLS TO BEST SUPPORT THEIR OWN AND THEIR YOUTHS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLNESS. IT HAS PROVED TO BE A SUCCESS AS 100% OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PART IN OUR CULTURE OF WELLNESS HAVE CHOSEN TO EXTEND OUR SERVICES WITH THEM BEYOND THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE FRAMEWORK. OUR GOAL IS TO ENGAGE MORE ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS WAY AND PROVIDE A MORE SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF SUPPORT. WE HAVE TRAINED 1558 EDUCATORS AND YOUTH SERVING STAFF THIS PAST YEAR IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLNESS RELATED TOPICS. OF THOSE TRAINED 95% REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND SEWI TRAINING TO OTHERS AND 91% SAID IT WAS RELEVANT TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. ONE EDUCATOR REPORTED ABOUT OUR TRAINING THAT I HOPE THAT MORE TEACHERS AND DISTRICT STAFF GET TO PARTICIPATE IN SEWI WORKSHOPS SO WE CAN SEE CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS, DAYCARE CENTERS AND PLAYGROUNDS CUT KIDS OFF FROM EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. AS RELATIVE NORMALCY RETURNS, MANY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS HAVE CONCERNS OVER HOW THESE CHANGES HAVE AFFECTED CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE AGES OF 6 THROUGH 11 ARE A TIME OF GROWING INDEPENDENCE FOR CHILDREN. AS FRIENDSHIPS BECOME MORE IMPORTANT, PEER PRESSURE CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR WELL-BEING. CHILDREN WHO DEVELOP CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR ABILITIES ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO RESIST PEER PRESSURE. AT SEWI, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS THAT SERVE ELEMENTARY AGED YOUTH. MANY OF THEM VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE SEEING IN THIS AGE GROUP POST PANDEMIC. THEY LISTED LACK OF SOCIALIZATION, EMPATHY AND ANGER MANAGEMENT AS TOP CONCERNS. DUE TO THIS AND OTHER ALARMING REPORTS, WE FELT IT NECESSARY TO EXPAND OUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR YOUTH (SELFY) CURRICULUM TO INCLUDE AN ELEMENTARY EDITION. THIS EDITION WAS PILOTED OVER LAST SUMMER TO GREAT SUCCESS AND IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE FOR PURCHASE. THIS CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE ELEMENTARY YOUTH IN ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL SKILLS. WE BELIEVE WE CREATED A CURRICULUM THAT ENCOURAGES QUALITY COMMUNICATION, RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE AND A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL SKILLS. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR SELFY CURRICULUM AS ALL OF THE EDITIONS HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT NOT ONLY ON THE YOUTH BUT ALSO ON THE ADULT FACILITATORS. THIS PAST YEAR 90 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN OUR SELFY PROGRAM AT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND BEYOND. A YOUTH PARTICIPANT REPORTED THIS WAS AN AMAZING PROGRAM I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK AN ADULT ACILITATOR SAID "I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THE SELFY PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING OUR YOUTH WITH A SAFE AND CONSISTENT SPACE TO LEARN POSITIVE SELF EXPRESSION AND DEVELOP COPING SKILLS."