Partnership | Beach Cities Health District

Beach Cities Partnership for Youth

Click on dates to access overviews from recent Coalition Meetings on August 28, 2020, January 23, 2020 and August 15, 2019.

Beach Cities Health District partners with 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.

Beach Cities Health District is just one of more than 100 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:

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.

Stacey Armato, Councilmember, City of Hermosa Beach
Michelle Bholat, MD, MPH, President, Beach Cities Health District Board of Directors
Rachel Campbell, Campus Pastor, Flourishing Church, Hermosa Beach
Jennifer Cochran, Clerk, Board of Trustees, Manhattan Beach Unified School District
Kevin Cody, Publisher, Easy Reader
Doug Gardner, Board President, Hermosa Beach City School District
Moe Gelbart, PhD, Executive Director, Thelma McMillen Center for Alcohol & Drug Treatment, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
John Gran, President, Redondo Beach Kiwanis and Councilman, City of Redondo Beach
Joan Stein Jenkins, Director, Beach Cities Juvenile Diversion Project
Keith Kauffman, Chief, Redondo Beach Police Department
Alice Kuo, MD, PhD, MBA, Professor and Chief, UCLA Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Laura McIntire, Founder, South Bay Families Connected
Zachary Zawacki, Student and Youth Advisory Council Co-Chair, Mira Costa High School
Kelly Stroman, CEO, Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce
Anthony Taranto, EdD, Executive Director of Student Services, Redondo Beach Unified School District
Gary Tsai, MD, Medical Director and Science Officer, Substance Abuse Prevention & Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Angela Wilson, LMFT, Director of Mental Health Programs, South Bay Children’s Health Center
*City of Manhattan Beach Representative to be appointed

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

Red Ribbon Week

Beach Cities Health District and the Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition are raising awareness about prevention of youth substance use during Substance Abuse Prevention Month in October and Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31.