Shelterforce: August 9, 2019
Informal Gathering Spaces for Healing Community Trauma
In her blog in Shelterforce, PI's Abena Asare explores the role that safe, inclusive, and supportive gathering spaces play in healing from trauma.
-
-
Natural Awakenings : July 31, 2019
Feeding Healthy Habits: A 10-Step Guide for Helping Children Thrive
This article in Natural Awakenings lists PI’s "Stop Junk Food Marketing to Kids" webpage as a media literacy resource.
-
Mental Health America: July 22, 2019
To Improve Mental Health, We Need To Take On Social and Racial Injustice
In their latest blog in Mental Health America, PI's Ruben Cantu and Dana Fields-Johnson highlight several Making Connections coalitions that are working to improve mental health for communities of color, immigrants and refugees, and the LGBTQ community. Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys is funded by The Movember Foundation and coordinated by Prevention Institute.
-
California Health Report: July 18, 2019
State Water Agreement is a Victory for Health Equity
In a victory for health and human rights, California Governor Gavin Newsome is preparing to sign a recent state bill to fund improvements to the state's drinking water system. In her op-ed in California Health Report, PI's Elva Yanez applauds the communities and policy advocates behind the bill while calling on the field of public health to take further action to make water safe and accessible for all communities.
-
San Francisco Chronicle: July 14, 2019
Open Forum: Big Soda remains Sacramento’s beverage of choice
In her op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, PI's Leslie Mikkelsen calls out the beverage industry as they stymied 5 bills this legislative session, all designed to reduce children's consumption of sugary beverages. "Bills to tax sugary drinks, put warning labels on them, keep them out of checkout lanes, cap serving sizes and limit discounts were all stopped or stalled." She calls on lawmakers to remember that the onus is not on parents to stop their children from drinking sweetened drinks, but on the American Beverage Association, which designs its marketing to get kids hooked on soda.
-
California Health Report: July 8, 2019
In Effort to Stop Domestic Violence, Advocates Teach Financial Independence
In her article examining how policies that support economic security and gender equity can reduce domestic violence, Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil quotes Prevention Institute's Alisha Somji:
“A lot of people see the immediate connection between how domestic violence can increase economic insecurity, but there tends to be less dialogue about how community economic security can help support safe relationships and prevent violence before it begins. What this means is that when we think about domestic violence prevention, it’s not just about some of the things we usually think about—teaching healthy behaviors and relationships—but it’s really thinking about more of our community environments. One example of this, is by supporting economic policies such as paid leave from work."
-
KCBS Radio: June 28, 2019
Juul Gears Up To Challenge San Francisco E-Cigarette Ban At The Ballot
Carrie Hodousek of KCBS Radio interviews PI's Sana Chehimi about how the e-cigarette maker, Juul, is trying to get on the November ballot to block San Francisco's ban of e-cigarettes. “They’re doing exactly what we would expect big tobacco to do. This is really a case of corporate profit versus public health."
-
Jackson Hole News & Guide: June 27, 2019
Changing cultural norms may aid men's health
In honor of Men’s Health Awareness Month, which is June, Deidre Ashley writes that although men make up 80% of suicides in the United States, and men are just as likely to face mental heallth issues as women, men are far less likely to seek out help. She explains how traditional masculline norms for men leave them feeling isolated and unable to ask for help. She emphasizes the importance of initiatives working to change norms around masculinity, citing Prevention Institute's Making Connections community of practice.
-
Media Entertainment Arts Worldwide (MEAWW): June 11, 2019
Arming teachers to protect students is 'risky' and 'misguided', warn experts after Texas governor signs school safety bill into law
In response to the Santa Fe High School shooting of 2018, two weeks ago Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a "school safety bill" into law. The law is meant to intensify school security, and one of its measures allows "as many armed teachers in schools and classrooms as local officials see fit." In this article in MEAWW, Priyam Chhetri explores the repurcussions of the law, citing PI's Alisha Somji: "To actually prevent these incidents and put a stop to youth gun violence, they need to dig much deeper, Putting guns in the hands of teachers does not align with our approach. In taking a...
-
Medium: May 29, 2019
Redlining and Mental Health: Connecting the Dots Across Poverty, Place, and Exclusion
In this Medium article by Laura Choi of the SF Federal Reserve, Choi writes about how historical policies like redlining have frayed social connections and other social determinants that protect against poverty and support mental health. She writes, "community development efforts can be designed to strengthen the mental health and well-being of the populations it serves," linking to PI's work on the pillars of wellbeing.