Dr. William Latimer speaks with Olga Acosta Price, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with postdoctoral training in school mental health. She is also the director of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS), a national resource, technical assistance, and applied research center based at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and is associate professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health at the University. In this episode of PHA Dr. Acosta Price discusses her work with public and public charter schools, along with numerous district agencies and other partners, to utilize a community of practice (CoP) approach to advance a public mental health initiative called the Comprehensive School Behavioral Health Expansion Project in DC. She also discusses how school mental health, as a public mental health approach, can facilitate change and the adoption of innovative interventions at both the individual and environmental or organizational levels. Such an approach, she argues, can help school leaders and staff begin to address the social influencers of health and education impacting vulnerable youth and families. Dr. Price discusses her upbringing, being raised by immigrant parents and dealing with forces that tried to limit her personal and academic growth. She reiterates the importance of believing in yourself and your dreams, and that ‘failure’ is often an opportunity to learn and pivot toward something new. No matter what forces are against you, don’t allow challenges to divert you from your purpose. 10/05/21.
