Page 17 - PGA Community News - October '24

October 2024 October 2024 PGA C.A.N.!, Page 17

Lead The Fight from page 16

health as a recipient of services.
When in high school, the school
social worker, Mr. C, invited
him to join a “divorce group.”
This group helped Bernstein
gain the support of his peers,
learn coping skills, and build
resiliency. He then took a peer
support class and by senior
year was leading a class for the
younger classmen and giving
back. Margaret Rollins, Dr. Michael Glazier, Dominika Nolan, Lizeth Henry, Andrea
“He [Mr. C] really set me Stephanie Noel, Denise Lafoy Sam and Karry Meshberg Elizabeth Larsen Goytia Rios
on this path of who I am today
… it really made me into an advocate to really eliminate Center for Child Counseling CEO Renée Layman gave has educated tens of thousands of parents, professionals,
barriers to access school mental health services for youth a brief overview of the agency’s public health framework and systems leaders.
and their families … I’m totally committed to supporting and their data-to-action approach of prevention, early Partnership sponsors who are leading the fight in
the mental health of our children and the support of our intervention, and treatment. The center realizes that making these important and necessary conversations
families and hope that you will be superheroes also in children don’t necessarily need treatment only, the possible include: BeWellPBC; Children’s Services
this fight,” advocated Bernstein. caregivers need ways to help their own kids. Council of Palm Beach County; Florida Association for
Dr. Mucenic re-stressed the importance of students and “We have focused largely on building the capacity Infant Mental Health; Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital;
families being able to access mental health supports in of people who work and live with kids to promote their Hanley Foundation; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
schools and gave a detailed overview of the services that well-being and resilience,” said Layman. Coalition of Palm Beach County; Mead Johnson Nutrition;
are provided in the 179 schools that make up the Palm Dominika Nolan, director of education and prevention Palm Beach Pediatrics; Palm Beach Pediatric Society; and
Beach County School District. services for CFCC gave an overview of all of the services Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley.
As part of the school district’s strategic plan, they are offered to children, families, schools, and communities in CFCC’s Fighting ACEs initiative to build trauma-
measuring and following objectives to support mental order to build the capacity and promote positive mental informed communities is made possible with the generous
health and well-being, including enhancing a sense of health for all. support of Quantum Foundation, Community Foundation
belonging, safety, and acceptance for all students; and In the closing remarks for the evening, Dr. Fox-Levine for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and private donors.
trauma-informed care and practices. encouraged all attendees to think about, “How can you CFCC’s pediatric integration program is made possible
The schools recognize the importance of destigmatizing take action now and step out of this room tonight and thanks to the support of Quantum Foundation, The
mental health services and share the message throughout into your day tomorrow and be a superhero, even more Frederick DeLuca Foundation, and Palm Beach County
their campuses that, “It’s okay to be okay. It’s okay to not than what you have been in the past, with the information Community Services Department.
be okay. It’s okay to ask for help.” and energy from tonight about the exciting things that Part 3 of the Lead the Fight 2024 series, Positivity Will
Mucenic emphasized, “We have people on every school are happening with our schools and being able to partner Give HOPE for Our Future, will take place on December
campus to support mental health. It’s really important.” with schools?” 4. The event focus will be on understanding the effect of
Each school’s mental health team includes: school In 2015, Center for Child Counseling launched positive childhood experiences on countering the long-
counselor(s), ESOL school coordinator, school Fighting ACEs to build awareness and action to mitigate term possible effect of adverse childhood experiences.
psychologist(s), school behavioral health professional, the impact of ACEs and build well-being through positive For more information about Center for Child
co-located mental health professional (at 115 of the childhood experiences (PCEs). In conjunction with Counseling visit www.centerforchildcounseling.
schools), and SBT/CST leader. There are also supports Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2017, the center org, Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC, Facebook: @
provided at the district level, such as the CAPE Team, developed “Lead the Fight” in 2016 to bring awareness CenterforChildCounseling, Instagram: @childcounselpbc.
Mobile Response Team, and community-based agencies to system leaders around fighting childhood adversity
with whom the district partners. with advocacy and action. Since that time, the agency Photos by Tracey Benson Photography

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