• Mental Health America: February 18, 2021

    Communities Are Taking The Journey To Mental Wellbeing

    In their piece in Mental Health America, PI's Ruben Cantu and Christine Williams highlight the accomplishments of the communities belonging to the Making Connections Initiative.

    "Young men of color became recognized as respected community leaders, successfully advocating for improvements like bike paths and community gardens. Veterans transformed how health systems and the larger community understand and support them and their families. And the men and boys who engaged in the work forged life-changing connections with one another and with their communities."

    Read more

  • Stormwater Magazine: February 15, 2021

    Health and Stormwater Equity

    In her piece in Stormwater, Rachel Sims interviews PI's Elva Yañez about Prevention Institute's recent paper, "A Time of Opportunity: Water, heath, and equity in the Los Angeles Region."

    Read more

  • NACCHO: February 4, 2021

    Innovations in Social Connection: How Local Leaders are Addressing Inequities and Advancing Technology Solutions During COVID-19

    As communities continue to implement physical distancing recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19, many have turned to innovative solutions to address social isolation and loneliness. Local government and community leaders have enlisted technology to aid in strengthening social connection. At the same time, many have taken steps to close gaps in access to technology. National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) features a blog by PI's Alisha Somji and Alexis Captanian.

    Read more

  • The Trace: December 21, 2020

    A Historic Surge in Gun Violence Compounds the Traumas of 2020

    In their piece in The Trace, Champe Barton, Brian Freskos, and Daniel Nass cover the recent surge in gun violence due to the pandemic. They cite PI's Lisa Fujie Parks: "The pandemic (reduced access to) “just about every positive source of social connection or mental health outlet available to these communities most at risk for gun violence.” 

    Read more

  • Parks and Recreation Magazine: December 10, 2020

    More Parks, Longer Lives

    In her piece in Parks and Recreation Magazine, PI's Elva Yañez discusses PI's research on life expectancy in relation to parks and green space, conducted with UCLA’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences and an advisory board of community-based organizations. The research, based on data from the Los Angeles, California, shows that increasing park acreage in areas that face park deficits and low levels of tree canopy could lead to significant population-level increases in life expectancy.

    Read more

  • ACEs Connection: October 29, 2020

    Think beyond ACEs screening, advises California funders workgroup in new report

    In her blog in ACEs Connection, Jane Stevens highlights PI's recent report, "Beyond Screening: Achieving California's Bold Goal of Reducing Exposure to Childhood Trauma." She quotes PI's Juliet Sims and Manal J. Aboelata: "As California embarks on its campaign to reduce adverse childhood experiences and the health and mental health conditions that can result from them," the authors write, "it is important that our approach include elements that reduce adverse community experiences and build community resilience."

    Read more

  • California Health Report: October 19, 2020

    Health and Equity Are On the Ballot With Prop. 15

    In her op ed in California Health Report, PI's Elva Yañez advocates for Proposition 15 which will generate an estimated $8 to 12 billion in funds per year, 40% of which will go to schools, with the other 60% will going toward county-level services like nutrition assistance, rent relief, and public health contact-tracing programs, among others.

    Read more

  • The Trace: September 11, 2020

    Are Cities Willing to Cut Police Spending and Invest in Community Violence Prevention?

    In their article in The Trace, Anthony Smith of Cities United and PI's Rachel Davis call for a public health approach to community violence. "Tactics like the ones we’re seeing federal agents carry out in Portland, Oregon, don’t make communities safer — they exacerbate the risk of violence... Rather than cut programs that save lives, we should listen to the demands from protesters who are calling for diverting funds from law enforcement to community resources that support safe and equitable communities in the first place."

    Read more

  • Health Promotion Practice: July 26, 2020

    Applying a Social Determinants of Health Approach to the Opioid Epidemic

    In July 2020, Prevention Institute’s Ruben Cantu, Dana Fields-Johnson, and Sheila Savannah authored “Applying a Social Determinants of Health Approach to the Opioid Epidemic” for the journal Health Promotion Practice. In it, they describe a community initiative they were involved in that applied upstream, primary prevention strategies to address the underlying causes of the opioid crisis.

    Read more