Whereas, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris has published on the acesaware.org website, “A consensus of scientific research demonstrates that cumulative adversity, especially when experienced during critical and sensitive periods of development, is a root cause to some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges facing our state and nation;” and

Whereas, generational trauma has been well documented through many studies of Holocaust survivors, Armenian Genocide survivors and their descendants, descendants of enslaved Africans, the experience of indigenous peoples, and tragically so many others; and

Whereas, many victims of personal trauma and abuse, as well as their descendants, cope with many of the same issues found with generational trauma; and

Whereas, teaching the awareness of mental health and social emotional content will provide California’s students tools to help process the impact of trauma for themselves and others moving forward, and

Whereas, mental health is cited in the California State Standards throughout grade levels; and

Whereas, mental health and social emotional learning have not been a focus in our schools due to a lack of resources; and

Therefore, be it resolved, that the CFT advocate for mental health and social emotional learning to be an integral topic of study across all grades TK-6 and within the health education requirements for grades 7-12.
 

• Passed as Resolution 2 by CFT Virtual Convention on March 26, 2021
• Submitted by the PreK-12 Education Issues Committee