Alliant Educational Foundation

The Best Advice I've Ever Received....
"Take radical responsibility. Own your actions and mistakes."
- Kim Arnett, MBA, AEF Board member

"The Alliant practicum students are providing much-needed mental health support at our SDUSD high school settings during a time when teen mental health challenges have increased and are a significant concern nationwide."
- Danielle Miller, PhD
San Diego Unified School District, 𝐴𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑟

𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨, 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬

As a youth mental health crisis persists in the US, a new report highlights a significant gap between the level of support that teenagers feel and the amount that parents think their children have.

By placing CSPP clinical psychology graduate students at these agencies, the AEF Mental Health Consortium is bolstering their capacity of local non-profit organizations to provide high-quality mental health support to some of the populations who most desperately need it, while also providing invaluable training opportunities for CSPP-SD students.

Teens feel less emotional support than their parents think they do, new report shows | CNN As a youth mental health crisis persists in the US, a new report highlights a significant gap between the level of support that teenagers feel and the amount that parents think their children have.

Alliant Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipient Testimonial:

"I am a first-generation student and it's been a dream of of mine to continue my education. I am currently a second-year student and am working full-time at an anxiety clinic for children. This has been such a blessing for not only my professional growth but my personal growth as well. I see myself working with populations like these for many years." - Danielle B

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 & 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬

50% of all mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% begins by age 25.

Su***de is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth ages 10-24 in California.

Children/Youth from underserved communities of color are more likely to experience mental health conditions due to discrimination, socioeconomic conditions, traumatic experiences, and barriers to quality mental health care.

Students with mental health disorders are more likely to drop out of school, have difficulty learning, and experience behavioral problems.

About 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health disorder.

Mental health is an essential part of overall health. It not only affects the ability of young people to succeed in school, at work, and throughout life but is critical to their overall well-being and to the health of our nation.
- US Surgeon General Vivek H Murthy

From the Office of the US Surgeon General, Factors That Can Shape the Mental Health of Young People.

Society - Social and economic inequalities, discrimination, racism, migration, media and technology, popular culture, government policies
Environment - Neighborhood safety, access to green spaces, healthy food, housing, health care, pollution, natural disasters, climate change
Community - Relationships with peers, teachers, and mentors; faith community; school climate, academic pressure, community support
Family - Relationships with parents, caregivers, and siblings; family mental health; financial stability; domestic violence; trauma
Individual - Age, genetics, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, coping skills

In case you missed it, here is our June 2024 eNewsletter

June 2024: Brief News & Notes — Alliant Educational Foundation This year marks the first-ever cohort of the Alliant Ed Foundation (AEF) Fellows, a new program supporting up to 20 incoming students across the State of California

Alliant Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipient Testimonial:

"As a female student, manager, mother, grandmother, wife, colleague, peer, mentor, coach, entrepreneur, and PhD candidate, I feel so proud to have many opportunities to make a difference in the world by helping others."
- Engeline A

What is the Alliant Educational Foundation's Regional Children's Mental Health Consortium?

By partnering with local non-profit organizations and the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University, the Foundation's Mental Health Consortium is providing mental health services to children, youth, and their families in under-resourced communities... throughout San Diego right now and expanding to the San Francisco Bay Area this fall.

The program places clinical psychology students in practicums to provide high-quality care to clients who most desperately need it, making a difference for some of our most vulnerable populations. Additionally, the program reduces the average cost of therapy sessions by 55% and funds the licensed clinical psychologist supervisors most agencies cannot afford to staff on their own.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐃𝐅 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐨!

The Alliant Educational Foundation is pleased to share the news from San Diego Foundation that we are a recipient of "Healthy Children & Families Initiative" grant funding intended to support “expanded access to critical services for children, youth and families in our region."

We are very proud to continue our partnership with San Diego Foundation in the delivery of services from our Regional Children's Mental Health Consortium, by partnering with a variety of San Diego-based non-profit organizations who work with under-resourced infants, children, and young adults and their families.

San Diego Foundation Announces $875,000 in Grants for Family Nonprofits The San Diego Foundation and the connected San Diego Women's Foundation Monday announced $875,000 in grant awards to local nonprofits that provide mental and behavioral health services and support to children, youth and families.

Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are… widespread…treatable, and often preventable

Our obligation to act is not just medical — it’s moral.
- US Surgeon General Vivek H Murthy

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

In the past decade, rates of youth depression almost doubled, with nearly one out of every three teenagers in the U.S. reporting poor mental health. Su***de ranks as the second-leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds in the United States. These statistics paint a stark reality, with almost one-third of working parents feeling overwhelmed by their child's mental health needs. Mental health has now become the top concern for parents, surpassing worries about substance use, teen pregnancy, and getting in trouble with the police.

Working closely with Alliant’s California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) in San Diego, the Alliant Educational Foundation is building new bridges in support of children’s mental health. We’re partnering with a variety of San Diego-based non-profit organizations to bolster their capacity to provide high-quality mental health support to some of the populations who most desperately need it, while also providing invaluable training opportunities for CSPP-SD students.

The Heavy Toll of the Youth Mental Health Crisis on Businesses Why supporting working parents is good for business.

Alliant Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipient Testimonial:

"I come from a financially insecure background, and financial burdens have always been a challenge when it came to higher education. However, my number one priority has always been education, as it is a value that is very cherished internally and in my family background." - Nina M.

The Best Advice I've Ever Received...

"The race goes not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong,
but to he who endures."
- Connell Persico, PhD
Alliant Educational Foundation Board Member

June is Pride Month.

Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Q***r (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that le***an, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

Alliant Educational Foundation would like to congratulate all of the graduates of Alliant International University! AIU recently held their commencement exercises for their six California locations:
May 10 - San Francisco Bay
May 11 - Sacramento
May 17 - Fresno
May 19 - Los Angeles & Irvine
May 24 - San Diego

Best wishes on all of your future endeavors, Class of 2024!

This Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We also honor their families, friends, and fellow service members who mourn them. There is help for Veterans struggling with grief, loss, or trauma at 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/veterans/.

Small steps can lead to big progress in mental health.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Consider your passions and interests and pursue something that brings you happiness and fulfillment. Remember that mental health support is available to you if you need it. Visit samhsa.gov/resources-serving-older-adults to learn more.

Our 2023 Annual Report is now available for downloading from our website. Please go check it out!
https://www.allianted.org/wp-content/uploads/AEF_Annual_Report_2023_web.pdf

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to raise awareness of the importance of mental health in children and teens. Keep an eye out for any social or behavioral changes in your children. You can learn more about the signs at samhsa.gov/mental-health.

Alliant Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipient Testimonial:

"I am grateful for your commitment to investing in the future of mental health professionals and for recognizing my potential. I hope that one day, I will be able to help other students achieve their goals just as you have helped me achieve mine." - Natasha N.

Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. For more than 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities who may need mental health support.

Just a reminder that for the majority of Alliant Educational Foundation administered scholarships, the deadline is tomorrow, April 30!

𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 ‘𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐲’ 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡

A top psychology group is urging technology companies and legislators to take greater steps to protect adolescents’ mental health, arguing that social media platforms are built for adults and are “not inherently suitable for youth.”

Social media features such as endless scrolling and push notifications are “particularly risky” to young people, whose developing brains are less able to disengage from addictive experiences and are more sensitive to distractions, the American Psychological Association...

The Alliant Educational Foundation's Regional Mental Health Consortia, the Foundation working closely with Alliant International University’s California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) is building new bridges in support of children’s
mental health.

Major psychology group says infinite scrolling, other social media features are ‘particularly risky’ to youth mental health The American Psychological Association is calling on technology companies to take more steps to protect adolescents, arguing age restrictions alone don’t address the dangers.

The deadline to submit applications for the majority of Alliant Educational Foundation administered scholarships is 11:59 PDT on April 30, 2024.

For National Haiku Day, an original composition from The Alliant Educational Foundation:

The scent of spring wafts
Carrying hope of new life
In green and white hues

The Best Advice I've Ever Received....

"Just listen and people will think you're smart!"
- Janet Hurwich, PhD, AEF Board member

Did you know....

Of the 165 individuals that received treatment during 2022-23 at the partner sites of the Alliant Educational Foundation's Mental Health Consortium,

34% were between the ages of 6 and 12...
44% were between the ages of 13 and 17...

27% were Caucasian...
73% were BIPOC or multi-racial...