The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Kaiser Permanente, and #hersmile Partner to Increase School Safety from the Inside Out
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NEWTOWN, Conn., /PRNewswire/ -- Scarlett Lewis, Chief Movement Officer of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement announced today a partnership with Kaiser Permanente and #hersmile. In Northern California, The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement is teaming up with Kaiser Permanente's Diablo Service Area and #hersmile in a campaign to help keep our children safe by providing schools with a program that includes research-based skills and tools that support mental wellness and reduce bullying, substance abuse and mental illnesses. "As an organization one of our primary objectives is to increase mental health awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health and wellness in the communities we serve," says Deneen Wohlford, Kaiser Permanente, Diablo Service Area, Director, Public Affairs. "The numbers speak for themselves, and we are aware of the need to have an increased presence in our communities raising awareness about the importance of resilience and the availability of programs and tools to build these protective skills." As in communities throughout California and the US, stressors and sources of childhood and familial trauma are on the rise. We are seeing an increase in issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicide. Children are particularly vulnerable to these pressures, which can affect their ability to learn and their physical as well as emotional health. And research has shown that intervention in early childhood can help protect against lifelong damage and that resilience is a primary characteristic that influences how people react to stress and process trauma. Increasing resilience has been shown to bolster the ability of children to weather adverse circumstances and deal with stressful situations. "We must be proactive and preventive in our approach to violence in our schools," said Scarlett Lewis, Founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. "If we continue to be reactive, we will always be one step behind on these issues. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) needs to be part of every school safety plan by cultivating safety from the inside out and addressing the cause of the tragedies that have become commonplace in our schools." SEL teaches kids how to get along, how to have healthy and positive relationships, deep and meaningful connections, skills and tools for resilience, emotional management, conflict resolution and responsible decision-making among other qualities. Donations, grants and volunteers enable the preK through12th grade Choose Love Enrichment Program to be offered to schools at no cost. About Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share. About #hersmile #hersmile is a nonprofit founded in honor of Jenna Betti, funds programs to empower and inspire people to thrive despite adversity and to build the skills of resiliency necessary to address hardships and challenges. About The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement is a 501(c) (3) and was created in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy where twenty innocent first graders and six adults lost their lives. Their mission is to ensure that every child has access to Social and Emotional Learning in the classrooms and to help facilitate this teaching within their families, schools and communities. MEDIA CONTACTS: View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-jesse-lewis-choose-love-movement-kaiser-permanente-and-hersmile-partner-to-increase-school-safety-from-the-inside-out-300711554.html SOURCE Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement |