After halting the program for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Northern Arizona University’s (NAU) Dream Catcher Program has returned. The program inspires Native American middle school students to pursue careers in the healthcare field through mentoring and hands-on educational activities. The Dream Catcher initiative is part of an overarching program called Native Journey … Read more
On March 9th, the Pima County Health Department launched the “Not Alone” initiative, which addresses the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students and faculty members. The campaign aims to communicate to young people experiencing mental health challenges to know that they are not alone in their struggles. It is funded by … Read more
The Arizona Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee met on Tuesday to discuss three House bills. While two of the bills passed unanimously, HB 2474, which relates to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved emergency use authorization vaccines, received some pushback. HB 2474 states that immunizations issued by the FDA under emergency use authorization are … Read more
A new Nomi Health Charitable Foundation program will develop a medical certificate program for Hawaiian students and young professionals pursuing healthcare careers. Nomi Health’s Frontline Futures Program will partner with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) to develop the program. Nomi Health will invest $50,000 to create a program that offers tuition … Read more
Despite committees not being scheduled to conduct the first meetings concerning health bills until March, lawmakers are already working on several health-related bills that were prefiled at the end of last year. These include the notable Assembly Bill 4, which would expand Covered California to all Californians, regardless of immigration status. AB 4 is the … Read more
Fewer rural public schools have the ability to get students diagnosed with mental health issues than their urban counterparts, according to a study led by researchers at Washington State University (WSU). The study showed that only a little more than half of all public schools (58%) reported providing assessments for mental health disorders. Researchers’ analysis … Read more
Washington state students will be able to take mental health days off from classes at the start of the new school year. A new state law will allow excused absences for students with symptoms related to mental illness, mental health condition challenges, and mental health appointments. Students will have no limit on the number of … Read more
Snohomish County students are making healthy decisions to avoid using harmful substances according to results from a recent survey. More than 15,000 Snohomish County students participated in the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey in fall 2021. Participants included students in sixth, eighth,10th, and 12th grades. Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters … Read more
Mental and emotional pressures stemming from the pandemic have been building for young people, frontline workers, and educators as Washington State is trying to measure its impact. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington State Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Strike Team has been charting the emotional response people have to a disaster. While communities often … Read more