California Grant Extension Allows IPS to Expand Ongoing Programs Serving Youth in San Diego’s Border Region

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SAN DIEGO – Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) is proud to announce the extension and expansion of its $850,000 Elevate Youth California (EYC) grant to fund substance use prevention programs for youth ages 12 to 26 in San Diego’s border region, with a focus on Hispanic and immigrant communities. EYC grants are awarded through the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and funded by the Proposition 64 California Cannabis Tax Fund.

The IPS Youth in Action (YIA) program, central to this effort, combines leadership development, peer-led support, and trauma-informed mentorship to build resilience, reduce substance use, and promote equity-driven policy change, ensuring youth have a meaningful role in transforming their communities. The program includes four core components, including the YIA Coalition, Prevention Academy, Young-Adult Mentoring Program, and three advocacy teams including the Clean Coast Collaborative.

YIA coalition members will help plan and lead eco-cultural workshops, including community clean-ups, posadas, and healing workshops. These culturally rooted events contribute to social connections, cultural pride, and community ownership. Youth will engage their families and peers to ensure community involvement and broader reach. Participants will also engage in a six-month prevention academy to address the root causes of substance use, develop civic engagement skills, and lead community workshops. Academy graduates will have the opportunity to join advocacy teams or take part in environmental justice initiatives.

“Youth are exploring the personal and community impacts of substance use while learning prevention strategies centered on resilience building, harm reduction, and early intervention,” said Paola Rochin Bochm, IPS Director of Prevention Programs in the South Bay and Border Region. “We are also building peer and mentor support networks to reduce social isolation, a key risk factor for substance use disorder.”

IPS is one of 95 community-based and Tribal organizations in California to receive a portion of more than $65 million funded by revenue generated from Proposition 64, which legalized adult non-medical use of cannabis.

IPS has a longstanding commitment to community well-being, engaging directly with youth and families through evidence-based trainings, resource provision, and civic engagement efforts. IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health, and improve quality of life with a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

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Contact:

Brittany Hunsinger

Institute for Public Strategies

(619) 476-9100 ext. 122

bhunsinger@publicstrategies.org

IPS Announces New Initiative to Keep Kids Cooler While Preparing for Extreme Heat-Related Issues

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SAN DIEGO – The Institute for Public Strategies is pleased to announce a new initiative to empower local communities in San Diego’s East County with the tools necessary to comprehend climate change, enhance community resilience, and adapt to future conditions regarding extreme heat events. A $250,000 grant was awarded to the Mountain Empire Unified School District by California’s Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program. IPS, the San Diego Green Infrastructure Consortium, and Arboreta Group were co-applicants on the grant and will also have major roles to play.

The first step is to collaborate with residents and MEUSD on the planning of a 2.34-acre undeveloped field owned by the school district next to Campo Elementary School, where students play in the East County border community without any shade or amenities. The project will involve working with community members and other key stakeholders to develop a community needs assessment and a plan for the field. The efforts will address opportunities that nature-based solutions can provide for reducing extreme heat and the needs of the students. It will incorporate benefits related to emergency preparedness and other priorities identified by the community.

“By the end of the project, participants will have a deeper understanding of effective collaboration and will be empowered with tools to ensure that their priorities and needs with respect to resilience against extreme heat are met,” IPS CEO Brenda Simmons said. “This will build momentum to implement the plan for the field and explore planning for larger-scale extreme heat infrastructure requirements.”

IPS will identify media outlets, social media groups, and other outreach tools that are used by those who live and/or work in the school district area. IPS will develop a process for conducting listening sessions and interviews in an equitable fashion and make a list of questions to be used to guide the discussion and ensure all extreme heat-related concerns and thoughts are explored. The community contacts will ensure that both the process and list of questions are culturally appropriate.

Efforts will include identifying organizations, governmental departments, philanthropists, and others who would be interested in providing the resources for implementing the plans for the school field, or financially supporting the planning group so it can continue to function after the grant ends.

IPS has a longstanding commitment to community well-being, engaging directly with youth and families through evidence-based trainings, resource provision, and advocacy efforts. IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health and improve quality of life. IPS has a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

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IPS Wins Five San Diego Press Club 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards, Including Two for First Place

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Impact Report, internal and external newsletters and documentary selected

SAN DIEGO – The Institute for Public Strategies is proud to announce it is the recipient of five honors in the San Diego Press Club’s 51st Anniversary Excellence in Journalism Awards for work done in Fiscal Year 2024.

IPS Digital Media Specialist Samuel Borden teamed with former student Mannix Gonzalez to win first place in the online video documentary category for Rebuild Mt. Empire High. They also won third place for video editing.

Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Blanch and Borden won second place in the public information annual report category for the IPS 2023 Impact Report.

In the in-house employee publications category, the IPS iNewsletter won first place and the IPS external newsletter PICture This won third place. Recipients in those awards included IPS Deputy Director Brittany Hunsinger, Media/GIS Director Meredith Gibson, Senior Media Specialist Paul Levikow, Borden, and the IPS staff.

More than 500 awards in 130 categories and 10 divisions were awarded to San Diego’s finest reporters, writers, artists, photographers, videographers, public relations professionals, and college media. Members of 15 journalism professional organizations from around the country, including press clubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Rochester, Florida, Cleveland, Orange County, Milwaukee, Tulsa and Alaska assisted with the judging. The awards were announced Oct. 22, 2024.

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IPS Awarded Funding to Enhance Behavioral Health Literacy Among Youth in San Diego’s Border Region

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The Institute for Public Strategies was awarded close to $1.5 million from two separate funders to enhance behavioral health literacy and promote help-seeking behavior among high school-aged youth in San Diego’s Border Region. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Welfie, a health equity-focused social enterprise dedicated to addressing youth mental and behavioral health.

This effort comes at a critical time as mental health challenges remain the leading cause of disability and adverse life outcomes among young people in the U.S., a situation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding comes from the Center for Wellness and Nutrition, a program of the Public Health Institute under contract with the California Department of Public Health to lead the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and Local-Level Public Education and Change Campaigns. Additionally, a generous grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation of San Diego will help support the program.

“Youth are facing high rates of mental health issues. This project aims to foster a strong sense of belonging, crucial for their mental and behavioral health,” IPS CEO Brenda Simmons said. “By leveraging music, digital tools and social cohesion, we aim to support youth, their peers and adult allies.”

Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant said, “San Diego can become a national model by consistently supporting youth well-being.”

“The health and vitality of our youth are crucial for a vibrant future,” Oliphant said. “Our investment aims to ensure that San Diego’s young individuals are thriving and empowered to explore who they are and build meaningful community ties.”

Dr. Steven Moyo is a hospital doctor who is the founder and CEO of Welfie.

“Through our partnership with IPS, we’re poised to make a real difference, leveraging our expertise in community well-being and Welfie’s dedication to cultural health initiatives,” Dr. Moyo said. “This grant will help us jointly improve lives and break down health and education barriers in underserved areas, as we work together for more inclusive and resilient communities.”

The project will be centered around an innovative solution called “Vibes” and aims to enhance mental health literacy, reduce stigma and facilitate care navigation among youth. Vibes begins with a wellness selfie or Welfie, a mental health screening tool designed to assess an individual’s strengths and needs. Based on the results, users are presented with short, musical messages called Vibes, which utilize evidence-based strategies such as play, music therapy, positive affirmations, and storytelling to engage and educate youth about mental health.

“At a time when our youth are struggling, it’s imperative to meet them where they are and provide accessible support,” Dr. Moyo said. “Vibes represents a unique approach, leveraging technology and community engagement to empower youth and connect them with vital resources.”

The initiative prioritizes youth involvement through the Health Equity Response Organizer (HERO) Academy, a year-long, hands-on program where youth will co-create the app alongside mentors in the behavioral health and technology fields to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. Additionally, the HERO Academy aims to develop a skilled workforce of behavioral healthcare workers, according to Simmons. By amplifying youth voices and fostering leadership skills, Vibes aims to create a sustainable intervention that resonates with its target audience.

IPS has a longstanding commitment to community well-being, engaging directly with youth and families through evidence-based trainings, resource provision, and advocacy efforts. Additional funders and potential youth participants can get more information by contacting IPS by email at Welfie@publicstrategies.org.

“Through our partnership with IPS, we’re dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating inclusive, resilient communities,” Dr. Moyo said. “Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of San Diego youth.”

Welfie works alongside underserved communities, often through schools, to tackle health and mental health issues by co-creating deeply engaging, community-specific resources, programs, and tech tools that help families feel connected and engaged.

IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health and improve quality of life. IPS has a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

Contact:
Brittany Hunsinger
IPS Deputy Director

Institute for Public Strategies Staff to Provide Expertise at National Alcohol Policy Conference in U.S. Capital

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SAN DIEGO – April 24, 2024 – The Institute for Public Strategies is honored to provide several staff members who will offer their expertise at the Alcohol Policy 20 Conference in Arlington, VA in May, sponsored by the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance. This year’s theme centers around changing America’s relationship with alcohol by moving evidence into action.

IPS CEO Brenda Simmons and Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Blanch will present “ACTing for Equity: An Equity-Centric Framework for Reducing Alcohol-Related Problems in Communities.”

Vice President of Programs Eric Collins and Prevention Specialist Hannah Cordeiro will present “Developing and Implementing Grasstop Coalitions to Address Alcohol-Related Harm.”

Media/GIS Director Meredith Gibson will present “Uncorking the Truth: Unraveling Health Inequities in Alcohol-Dense Neighborhoods.”

Los Angeles Regional Director Kendall Watanabe will team up with Program Manager Carolina Gabaldon, Collins, and Cordeiro in presenting an interactive workshop “Young Advocates Program: Successes from a Tri-County Partnership on Amplifying Youth-Based Leadership and Advocacy Through a Comprehensive Internship Program.”

Watanabe and Program Manager Gabriel Hill will lead a workshop “From Vision to Impact: Nurturing Sustainable Alcohol and Substance-Use Community Coalitions.”

“Our participation in this important conference will help strengthen the understanding of how to advance evidence-based public policy in preventing and reducing alcohol-related problems,” Simmons said. “It’s important that we advance rational alcohol policies with an emphasis on offsetting the public costs of alcohol use while considering the future of alcohol policy in the light of health care reform and other changes in the U.S. political and public health landscape.”

The U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of state and local organizations working on alcohol policy independent of commercial interests.

IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health, and improve quality of life with a vision for safe, secure, vibrant, and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

 

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Contact:

Brittany Hunsinger

Institute for Public Strategies

(619) 476-9100 x122

BHunsinger@PublicStrategies.org

IPS Included in Historic Plan to Increase Outdoor Access to All in California through State Grant

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SAN DIEGO–The Institute for Public Strategies announced today that it has received a $300,000 grant to increase access to the outdoors for all San Diegans regardless of who they are or where they live. The award is part of the Outdoors for All Strategy in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency to build a movement across the state that will allow more people access to nature and provide outdoor experiences.

“The grant allows IPS to create the East County Outdoor Youth Empowerment and Adventure program, a new outdoor access initiative for youth participants from underserved populations in Lemon Grove, Spring Valley/La Presa, and El Cajon with a focus on equity and inclusion,” IPS CEO Brenda Simmons said. “In partnership with the participants, we’ll lead day outings and camping trips where youth will learn about health, wellness, and empowerment.”

The Youth Community Access grant was established with funds from the Proposition 64 cannabis tax to support public, educational, job training and outreach programs that expand youth access to cultural and natural resources. Priorities include establishing spaces for people and nature to thrive; fostering a sense of belonging in the outdoors; and building career pathways for youth to pursue in recreation, natural resources and restoration. The strategy will build on efforts to cultivate an outdoor culture and workforce that reflects California’s diversity.

“Participants will be involved in planning the excursions with a ‘Choose Your Adventure’ model empowering them to investigate topics that can improve their lives, their communities and the institutions that serve them,” Simmons said. “This is an exciting opportunity for IPS and we look forward to getting started.”

IPS was one of five nonprofits in San Diego County to be awarded the grant. Statewide, there were 71 grants awarded. IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health, and improve quality of life with a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

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Contact:
Brittany Hunsinger
Institute for Public Strategies
(619) 476-9100 ext. 122
bhunsinger@publicstrategies.org

Tony Anderson
California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary for Communications
(279) 599-0373
Tony.Anderson@resources.ca.gov

IPS Media/GIS Director Participates at GeoGov Summit as a Health Panelist

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Event brings together thought leaders in geospatial technology to advance the National Geospatial Infrastructure 

ANNAPOLIS, MD, September, 2023 – Media/GIS Director Meredith Gibson recently participated as a panelist for a discussion on the use of geospatial technology in health at the 2023 GeoGov Summit in Herndon, VA. The convening was for experts in government, business, and nonprofit industries to advance geospatial governance and find solutions to connect data and technology across industries and platforms into one national strategy.

“I had the opportunity to talk about geographic information systems (GIS) in healthcare and public health, whether GIS is currently meeting its needs, the challenges, and how we can improve our GIS capabilities,” Gibson said.

The health panel was asked if the GIS community has done enough to develop practical use cases for health. According to Gibson, the COVID-19 dashboard created by Johns Hopkins University is an exemplary use of GIS in public health. Up until earlier this year, it tracked COVID-19 cases across various metrics, including at a geographic scale, on a daily basis.

However, it is clear that more could be done in the health sector to integrate more geospatial technology. According to an analysis by GW Consulting, healthcare and public health do not even make the top 10 of the geospatial market.

“What struck me the most about the summit was how public health and healthcare are behind the curve in leveraging the technology compared to other industries like climate science,” Gibson said. “We all have the same goal – resilient communities – but we could do so much more for individual and population level health with the right resources and partnerships.”

In addition to mapping and analyzing disease hot spots, GIS can be used to identify neighborhoods and populations best served by health interventions; forecast potential health-related trends; conduct environmental scans; coordinate emergency response; pinpoint access to medical and other services; and serve as a community outreach tool.

The conference addressed the priorities of the geospatial industry, such as climate change, civil infrastructure, health, emergency management, defense and space security. Panelists shared ideas around data governance and spatial technology advancements.

Because the pandemic upended all industries across the globe, it’s imperative that the health sector has a seat at the table in determining the path for a national geospatial strategy. Moreover, a national strategy that considers the granular scale and dynamic character of communities, such as the ones IPS works with, will help inform data collection efforts that will have the most impact in terms of population health, safety, and equity.

Gibson is leading the development of IPS’ policy mapping lab, an initiative that provides training and technical assistance to other public health agencies and community coalitions in leveraging GIS to achieve organizational goals.

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Contact:
Meredith Gibson
Institute for Public Strategies
(619) 476-9100 ext. 118
mgibson@publicstrategies.org

IPS to Lead Sessions at the NPN Conference

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SAN DIEGO, July 2023 – IPS is pleased to announce that several team members will lead multiple sessions at the National Prevention Network’s (NPN) annual conference in Birmingham, AL, on August 15 – 17, 2023. The conference is hosted by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors.

Since 1988, NPN has brought together prevention professionals, coalition leaders, researchers, and federal partners to share research, best practices, and promising evaluation results for the purpose of integrating research into prevention practice. IPS will share its expertise in involving youth in policy advocacy, community organizing at the grasstops and grassroots levels, and using data and technology in prevention efforts.

The following topics will be presented:

Young Advocates Program: Successes from a Tri-County Partnership on Amplifying Youth-Based Leadership and Advocacy through a Comprehensive Internship Program. Craig Reed, San Diego County Regional Director; Kendall Watanabe, Los Angeles County Regional Director; and Carolina Gabaldon, San Bernardino – High Desert Program Manager

Mapping Inequities in Neighborhoods with Alcohol Overconcentration. Meredith Gibson, Media/GIS Director

The Alcohol Policy Panel: A Successful 25-Year Partnership Connecting Prevention Providers, Elected Officials, Business Owners, and Community Members. Eric Collins, Vice President of Programs; and Craig Reed, San Diego County Regional Director

The West Hollywood Project — Innovative Strategies to Reduce Meth Overdoses and Leverage Partnerships to Effectively Distribute Harm Reduction Supplies within the LGBTQ+ Community. Darwin Rodriguez, West Hollywood Project Program Manager

IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health and improve quality of life. IPS has a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

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“Unity in the Community” Mural is Unveiled

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The six-year project, co-led by IPS’ sister agency, demonstrates the value of public art to community health

SAN DIEGO, April 2023 – On Saturday, March 25, residents and city leaders gathered at Teralta Neighborhood Park in San Diego for the official unveiling of a 270-foot mural depicting the City Heights neighborhood. The project, co-led by IPS’ sister agency, the Global Institute for Public Strategies, was the culmination of six years’ work and was designed with beautification, health, and safety in mind.

“The mural intentionally reflects City Heights’ diversity, aspirations, harmony, landmarks, and progress,” said IPS-affiliate and volunteer manager of the project, Dan Tomsky. “Subsequently, this beautiful mural has increased pride and ownership so that residents feel they can actively recreate in Teralta Neighborhood Park.”

Ideas for the mural’s content were sourced from within the City Heights community and are reflected in choices like the inclusion of the mural’s title, “Unity in the Community,” in both Vietnamese and Somali—languages familiar to the neighborhood’s residents and families. It showcases the faces of community members, institutions, and schools, and even the park’s dog-friendly policies to remind park visitors that Teralta is part of a broader community.

The buy-in of community members was essential to creating and sustaining the impact of projects that improve conditions. This is made clear through the passion and enthusiasm of local advocates like Maria Cortez, a decades-long resident, schoolteacher, and key advocate for the mural.

“We are in an underserved community,” said Cortez. “Projects like public murals remind residents that they deserve safe, healthy, and clean public environments.”

Teralta is one of the few outdoor spaces in City Heights and has a history of litter, graffiti, petty crime, and gang activity. City Heights residents eventually adopted a comprehensive approach to addressing the problems, including with Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a multi-disciplinary approach to crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design. CPTED can also encompass public art. Research increasingly shows arts and culture can provide communities with a sense of self-efficacy, emotional and social engagement, expression, and true stakes in their environment.

City Heights residents familiar with Teralta Neighborhood Park desired a mural in order to transform its blank sound wall – frequently tagged with gang-related and other graffiti – into an uplifting art amenity. With the support of the Parks and Recreation area manager for City Heights, the community embraced a mural project as an integral part of a comprehensive CPTED-based initiative that already was favorably impacting the park.

On one end of the Teralta Park mural, there sits a bright orange and red bird — a Phoenix — meant to symbolize revitalization, resilience, and a new birth for the park. This is the message Cortez wants her community to understand and embody: “We want to show that we matter, and that the youth matter.”

Contact:
Paul Levikow
Institute for Public Strategies
(619) 476-9100 ext. 112
plevikow@publicstrategies.org

IPS Expands Tobacco Prevention Efforts

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Agency awarded two new grants from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

LOS ANGELES, December 2022 – The Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) announced it has been awarded two grants from the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health to develop and implement comprehensive smoke-free policies for outdoor areas and in multi-unit housing. These grants from the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Tobacco Control and Prevention Program will be implemented in four cities within LA County – Whittier, Pico Rivera, Montebello, and Alhambra. Since 2020, IPS has also led a multi-unit housing tobacco prevention project in the City of Los Angeles.

“We are excited to expand our tobacco prevention work in LA with these initiatives, as we increase the wellbeing of residents in these additional communities,” IPS Director of Tobacco Programs Maurina Cintron said. “We will also rely on the help from community members to achieve these goals.”

One of the new contracts will focus on advancing policy solutions that address drifting secondhand smoke in outdoor communal areas in Montebello and Whittier. The primary focus will be on preventing smoking at bus stops, ticket lines, ATMs, taxi stands and within 25 feet of where smoking is currently outlawed. These areas will also include outdoor dining areas, public events like farmers markets, fairs, swap meets and concerts, recreational areas, golf courses, playgrounds, parks, sidewalks, parking lots, bike lanes, alleys and work sites. Smoking is defined as inhaling, exhaling or burning tobacco, cannabis or any other plant product including synthetics, whether by burning or vaping.

The second new contract will concentrate on policy solutions that prevent exposure to tobacco and cannabis smoke in multi-unit residences in Alhambra and Pico Rivera. In these two cities, IPS will help reduce and eliminate drifting secondhand and thirdhand smoke in individual units, balconies, patios, porches, decks, common areas, hallways and laundry rooms.

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and disability in the United States, resulting in over 480,000 deaths each year, including deaths from secondhand smoke. In LA County, smoking causes one in every seven deaths, and approximately $4.3 billion dollars are lost due to smoking-related diseases and deaths each year. The leading causes of smoking related deaths are lung cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD) and chronic airway obstruction.

IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health and improve quality of life. IPS has a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

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