California Partners Project

This month, I had the honor of convening our second Gender Equity Summit– a powerful day dedicated to profound and urgent conversations about women's health and safety. We were joined by a remarkable community of leaders—government officials, philanthropists, advocates, experts, and direct service providers—all united around centering women’s lived experiences and breaking down silos to advance a shared vision of a safer, healthier, and more equitable California for every woman and child. One of the day’s most thought-provoking discussions centered on the importance of a sense of community and belonging for women’s mental health and well-being, whether it's for pregnant mothers, survivors of assault and trafficking, Native communities who are overcoming intergenerational trauma, or those combatting gender-based violence. Experts also illuminated the pathways through which these experiences become embedded in our bodies and communities, disproportionately affecting women who bear the invisible mental load that includes caring for the emotional well-being of others. A theme that resonated throughout the day was the undeniable connection of mental well-being and physical health, and the power of innovative solutions that are grounded in creative collaborative partnerships. In California, we have both the opportunity—and the responsibility—to lead the way in advancing protections for women’s health and creating models that uplift every community. Because women’s health is our public’s health and women’s safety is our public’s safety. To every speaker and attendee: thank you for sharing your vision, expertise, and unwavering commitment to centering women’s health and ending a culture of violence against women. The work continues, and we know that here in California, we can build on this momentum to create a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all. #WomensHealth #GenderEquity #PublicHealth #PublicSafety #CaliforniaForAll

Dr. Bruce Duncan Perry and Devika Bhushan, MD will be discussing the impact of stress on young brains, The Neurosequential Model, and how educators and families can optimize the best learning environments for young people and help them build resilience next week on 11/19. Register now to tune into the Fireside Chat on Tuesday 11/19 at 8 am PST | 11 am EST!: https://lnkd.in/gTjB6-KT #resilience #trauma #youthmentalhealth #MentalHealthMatters

Parents, practitioners and policymakers, in the interest of centering young people in discussions about their media use, here are 4 take-aways from an insightful interview that psychiatrist Michael Tsappis at Boston Children's Hospital gave radio station WBUR (https://lnkd.in/ggzkesSw): 🌠 Media/tech only part of the picture. This is "a bio-psycho-social issue," Dr. Tsappis said. "Language does matter ... [and] I really think 'addiction' is way off the mark." Because, he said, there are usually factors besides "a simple high" from being on a device. "ADHD is the strongest predictor of having loss of control in media use," he said, but also "pre-existing anxiety and depression" or "even a social change like the family moving to another location." 🌠 What message are young people getting? "When kids hear 'you’re addicted, you're addicted, you're addicted,' they don’t feel cared for, they feel criticized – they feel punished when the devices are taken away," he said. 🌠 Impact of misinforming parents: "Negative parental attitudes about media is actually an identified risk factor for children having problems with media use," Dr. Tsappis said. "The more balanced the parents’ view, the less likely the kid will have a media use problem." 🌠 A clinic's first steps: He's respectful of colleagues who start with a digital detox in the interview but says their approach is different. "When people come in, one of the first things we say is, ‘This is not an addiction, this is a loss-of-control behavior, and we can make sense of why this is happening for you.’" Finally, this statement in the last minute of the interview truly warmed my heart: "We really try to de-pathologize the kid." 😌 #youthmentalhealth #wellbeing #digitalsafety #parenting #mentalhealthcare

Thrilled to moderate a panel on 5 Inclusive Strategies for Achieving Board Excellence with amazing directors, Barbara Adachi, NACD.DC, Kaye Foster, and Steven Aldrich at the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Director's Summit. Combining wisdom the Board Culture Playbook produced by the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab and California Partners Project (https://lnkd.in/g32JAQ8g) and the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission Report on Culture, we identified five key strategies: 1️⃣ Define optimal board culture: do an assessment and establish inclusive norms 2️⃣ Reinforce board culture: facilitate effective meetings 3️⃣ Mentor new members and reorient existing directors 4️⃣ Build strong relationships 5️⃣ Engage with and value differences We receive immediate feedback that the examples shared by the panelists helped the audience walk away with practical steps they can take. Such a joy to be part of positive momentum that can affect so many. It was also great to see old friends and make new ones. In these pictures are Barbara Adachi, NACD.DC, Isaura S Gaeta and Tiph Turpin, Ph.D.! Onward! #BoardsofDirectors #Culture #Collaborations