Beach Cities Health District partners with South Bay Families Connected, the Hermosa Beach City School District, Manhattan Beach Unified School District and Redondo Beach Unified School District to deliver programs that measurably improve the health and well-being of students and families. While physical health in the Beach Cities continues to improve, there is a growing need in the student population to address mental health and well-being.
Upcoming Events
What I Wish My Parents Knew: Dangers of Youth Substance Use and Fentanyl
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) and the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition is partnering with South Bay Families Connected, Manhattan Beach Unified School District and Redondo Beach Unified School District to host in-person events that will include a film screening of “Dead on Arrival,” a fentanyl documentary by Dominic Tierno and Christine Wood, followed by a panel discussion. This event is intended for parents and caregivers to hear from local young people who have lived experience with substance use. Young people from New Life House and Clarity Sober Living will share their recovery stories and what they wish their parents knew during that time. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a candid discussion with the panel to learn more about what they can do to better support the mental health of young people in their life. South Bay parents and caregivers are encouraged to attend.
Panelists:
Sebastian Martin, Executive Director of Operations at New Life House
Brooke Juhasz, Program Director at Clarity Sober Living
Naloxone (the life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication) will be available for participants. BCHD’s supply of naloxone is provided by the California Health Care Services’ Naloxone Distribution Project.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Manhattan Beach Middle School
1501 N. Redondo Ave., Manhattan Beach
Multipurpose Room
REGISTER HERE
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Adams Middle School
2600 Ripley Ave., Redondo Beach
Multipurpose Room
REGISTER HERE
Beach Cities Health District is just one of more than 200 local partners in the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth that will be collaborating to achieve measurable outcomes in improving student mental health and well-being and reducing substance use. The Beach Cities Partnership for Youth is comprised of representatives from the following sectors:
- Youth
- Parents
- Businesses
- Media
- Schools
- Youth-serving organizations
- Law enforcement
- Civic and volunteer groups
- Health care professionals
- State, local or tribal agencies
- Other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse
- Religious or fraternal organizations
Since January 2017, Beach Cities Health District has convened five stakeholder groups to address student mental health and well-being:
- Students: Youth Advisory Council
- Parents: Health and Wellness Parent Liaisons
- Providers: Provider Task Force
- Schools: School Advisory Board
- Community: Community Policy Workgroup
Steering Committee: This group of community leaders will serve in an advisory capacity to guide the work of the Coalition and the Drug-Free Communities Grant.
- Maggie Bove-LaMonica, Board Member, Hermosa Beach City School District
- Byung Cho, Board Member, Redondo Beach Unified School District
- Moe Gelbart, PhD, Executive Director, Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol & Drug Treatment, Torrance Memorial
- Sylvia Gluck, Director of Administrative Services, Hermosa Beach City School District
- Cathey Graves, President, Manhattan Beach Unified School District
- Alice Kuo, MD, PhD, MBA, Professor and Chief, UCLA Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
- Jason Kurtenbach, Executive Director of Student Services, Redondo Beach Unified School District
- Paul LeBaron, Chief, Hermosa Beach Police Department
- Rachel Lloyd, LMFT, Supervisor of Youth Mental Health Project, South Bay Children’s Health Center
- Kristine Lloyd-Tangermann, Prevention Program Specialist, Substance Abuse Prevention & Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- Laura McIntire, Founder, South Bay Families Connected
- Vanessa Poster, President, Beach Cities Health District Board of Directors
- Kerry Riccio Aguero, Director of Student Services, Manhattan Beach Unified School District
- Issac Yang, Division Chief, Redondo Beach Fire Department
*Student Representative will be appointed with Youth Advisory Council 2023-24
The Community Action Plan for Student Mental Health & Substance Use Prevention outlines key programs, partnerships and policies that are addressing these key health indicators. BCHD is just one of more than 200 local partners in the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition that are collaborating to achieve measurable outcomes.
Goals of the Community Action Plan
- Decrease prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use in teens
- Decrease stress and bullying and improve social-emotional well-being of youth
- Increase number of parents having conversations with their children about alcohol and drugs, social media, mental health and bullying
