| As a former middle school teacher, the start of school is always my favorite time of year. There’s something so hopeful about the days spent unpacking a classroom, planning the year’s lessons, reviewing student rosters, and setting big goals. Here at FACES, I feel the same sense of possibility and optimism at the start of each academic year. I am especially excited that in 2018-19, FACES will expand to include additional students in San Francisco, CA and Detroit, MI – bringing us to a total of 16 programs serving 1000+ students.
Our program coordinators are already hard at work recruiting and selecting new students. I think I can speak for everyone here at FACES when I say that getting to know our new students each Fall is THE BEST. FACES Health Scholars are diverse – coming from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and communities. Collectively, they speak over 18 languages, attend school in 13 different districts, and express interest in a wide range of health careers. But they have some things in common too: motivation, resilience in the face of challenge, and a desire to help others in their communities.
After they complete their training workshops, our newest FACES Health Scholars will join our returning seniors in internships at hospitals, clinics, mental/behavioral health agencies, public health departments, and other community organizations. My hope is that through their participation in FACES this year, these amazing students will transform into more confident and empowered future health professionals.
I am so proud to welcome our new FACES Health Scholars, and I look forward to keeping you all in the loop as the 2018-19 academic year unfolds!
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| "It is no different than learning CPR – it’s potentially life-saving information and vital that we take on MHFA certification as we would any other community based public health effort. We are all connected to youth – through our families, our work, our faith communities, our neighborhoods – even in public spaces. It is incumbent upon us to do all we can to help them if a situation should arise. It can be a matter of life and death.
Do you know what you would say or do if a young person disclosed something sensitive to you? Do you know what you would say to them if they admitted to you that they have thoughts of suicide or self-harm? Do you have a plan for how you would get them connected to professional help? If you are a professional who works with youth, do you have answers to those questions for a youth you know in your personal life? If you’ve hesitated even once – I ask that you please consider getting certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid." FACES Coalition Deputy Director, Brooke Briggance, and Program Manager, Jasmine Nakagawa-Wong recently became certified trainers for Youth Mental Health First Aid. This means they can train and certify adults connected to young people who want to be armed with some tools to help youth if a serious mental health situation should arise. Read the full blog and contact us if you are interested in becoming certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
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|  | Global Health Youth Summit June 17 - 23, 2018 Twenty FACES for the Future students, each representing a FACES program from across the nation (California, Colorado and New Mexico), traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the third year of the Global Health Youth Summit. This was in partnership with the Global Health Fellows Program II and USAID. | |  | FACES Summer Medical Academy July 16 - 27, 2018 The FACES Summer Medical Academy was created to expose high school students to the field of medicine, nursing, and allied professions. This year’s Academy was a huge success! This was in partnership with Samuel Merritt University. | |
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| FACES South Alameda County piloted a new summer program in partnership with Arroyo High School’s Academy of Health and Medicine, San Leandro Hospital, and St. Rose Hospital. Ten rising juniors from Arroyo HS participated in this 6-week internship program, earning high school credits in the process.
Like in our academic year programs, FACES Arroyo summer students participated in training to prepare them for internship. Students learned about HIPAA, Infection Prevention, Medical Ethics, and Professionalism before earning a Blue Coat to begin internships at the two hospitals. In addition, FACES Arroyo summer program students also worked on their leadership and advocacy skills by leading 30 min group discussions and activities for their peers on Professionalism, Time Management, Self- Care, Diversity in the Workplace, and Leadership.
Overall, the FACES Arroyo summer program was a great success – thank you to all the students, families, school partners, and hospital mentors that made this pilot possible.
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| "I think FSMA really instilled in me this idea that there are populations in our world that don’t have medical care or have access to the medical care that they need. There are these disparities and gaps in our health care system that can really be met by people who are aware of that."
Tiffany Shem is an alumn of the FACES Summer Medical Academy (FSMA), Class of 2010. Tiffany has always wanted to work in the health field but was uncertain of exactly which health career to focus on. She decided to expose herself to the field in hopes of getting a better idea of which route she wanted to take. She volunteered at a hand clinic after college, worked as an EMT for a year, and currently, working as a medical assistant in Urgent Care. From her exposure to multiple health professions and seeing the dynamics of a health team, she is now pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).
Watch the video to hear about her experiences, as well as her advice for those currently unsure of which health career to pursue!
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| “Never give up. There are many obstacles in life, and sometimes they delay us from reaching our goals. However, with perseverance and mentors who motivate you to be your best, nothing is out of reach. I owe part of my success to FACES for the Future for exposing me to different health career options and possibilities.” Dr. Lena Nguyen, PharmD, FACES Class of 2005, is a graduate of UC Davis and the University of Hawaii Hilo – Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy. Following her recent graduation from pharmacy school, Dr. Nguyen has been offered employment as a Pharmacist at the Outpatient Pharmacy at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland – the same hospital where she interned as a FACES high school student many years ago! Congratulations, Lena!
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| Shiree Edwards is the Program Coordinator of FACES for the Future program in Colorado at Denver Health and Hospital Authority. Shiree is a graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma, where she received a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelors of Science in Forensic Science. Shiree prides herself in her ability to work effectively with various adult and children populations and has a passion for impacting others in a positive manner. Shiree has always enjoyed working with youth and has experience working with underserved teens in legal situations. Shiree has always been fervent about social issues and is looking forward to working with resilient youth who are interested in medical field careers by mentoring and advocating for them through the FACES for the Future Program. Welcome to the team, Shiree!
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Interested in starting a FACES for the Future program in your community? Please contact us at info@facesforthefuture.org for more information!
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The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life throughout California, across the nation and around the world. For more information about PHI programs, visit www.phi.org or contact PHI communications at communications@phi.org
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