Blog

Sharing Tools & Supports for Mental Health Needs

In the spirit of bringing in role models for navigating life after foster care, our partners at Art + Practice hosted a July Roundtable Event with our Los Angeles team that featured guest speaker, Mario Johonson, Director of Student Wellness and Human Development at New Roads School. Mario described his experiences in the foster care system, and his own healing journey using somatic practices to overcome trauma. Mario also talked about using social emotional intelligence and honoring mind and body. Many young adults connected with Mario’s story, and he encouraged them to consider and try alternative healing methods to evaluate what could work best for them. 

Mario grew up in South Los Angeles in the early 1970s. As a young child he was separated from his mother and spent two years in the foster care system before being reunited with his mother and moving to Santa Monica where he was one of only a few children of color in his classes. After his presentation, youth and staff discussed the importance of community care, listening to one another, and also persevering and trying new approaches when a particular way isn’t working.

Thank you to everyone that made this event possible!  

In the Media

Advancing Equitable AI in the US Social Sector

One example of an organization using AI to support evidence-based decision-making is First Place for Youth, an organization that helps foster youth make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. First Place for Youth built a recommendation engine that uses precision analytics—a technology that predicts trends and behavioral patterns by discovering cause-and-effect relationships in data—to analyze program administration and case assessment data, and learn from differences in outcomes among youth.

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March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place!

March is ‘Stay Paid’ Month at First Place for Youth where we acknowledge all of our young people’s efforts in […]

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Empowering Young Lives: Updates from My First Place™ Program Launch in New Jersey 

Nearly six months ago, First Place for Youth and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) launched […]

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