Santa Rosa City Schools Trustee Receiving Millions From CDPH to Hire Interns for Student Indoctrination Through Mental Health Youth Promotor Paid Internship Program
New Student Board Member Ome Zuniga was part of the paid internship program prior to joining the school board
On May 22, 2024, the Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) Board voted to approve the new Student Representative to the Board of Education for 2024/2025 School Year.
Aside from Trustee Alegria de La Cruz, the entire Board voted unanimously to approve Mr. Ome Gael Zuniga as their new representative. Ms. De La Cruz abstained because Mr. Zuniga is her son.
Per Mr. Zuniga’s application for the Board, he actively serves as a Youth Promoter for Latino Service Providers.
Although SRCS Trustee Stephanie Manieri is the Executive Director of Latino Service Providers, she failed to abstain from approving Mr. Zuniga’s appointment to the Board. Oddly, she made the motion for his approval.
According to literature produced by Latino Service Providers (LSP):
“Latino Service Providers (LSP) trains Latinx youth, ages 16-25 years, to be mental health Youth Promotores via a structured paid internship program and gives them ample support and opportunities to present mental health education and resources through events and community conversations (pláticas). Youth Promotores engage the Latinx community, offer information in Spanish and English, and are culturally responsive.
LSP’s mission is to serve as a bridge across generations in Sonoma County’s Latinx community. We do this by developing youth leaders, building awareness about health, culture, and social issues, and advocating across race and ethnicity.”
It is a 12- month cycle from May to May to align with the academic school year. Youth are paid a stipend and earn between $800 to $1600 during the year.
On March 6, 2024, LPS Executive Director Manieri issued the following press release:
Latino Service Providers (LSP) is proud to announce the receipt of a substantial state grant totaling $716,134.92 from the Public Health Institute’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition. This funding will fortify and expand our impactful Youth Promotor Internship Program, underscoring our commitment to addressing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral (MEB) health challenges in historically underserved communities within Sonoma County.
Led by a seasoned team of experts, LSP aims to leverage these funds to actively engage Youth Promotores in fostering community resilience and dismantling barriers to MEB health services. The Youth Promotor Internship Program stands out for its unique emphasis on reducing stigma, raising awareness, and promoting help-seeking behavior.
The grant from the Public Health Institute recognizes the potential of our project to make a significant and lasting impact on the lives of children, youth, families, and communities across California. In their statement, they commend LSP for our dedication to promoting behavioral health equity and wellness support, expressing excitement about the positive impact anticipated from our project.
“LSP is committed to creating a robust and sustainable model that not only addresses immediate challenges but contributes to the long-term well-being of our community. This grant allows us to continue making strides in reducing disparities in MEB health services, ensuring that all individuals have access to the support they need,” stated Stephanie Manieri, Executive Director of LSP.
As we move forward, LSP remains grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us by the Public Health Institute’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are committed to fostering positive change in the lives of those we serve.
On July 11, 2016, the CDPH Announced an Intent to Award $13 Million in Grants to California Reducing Disparities Pilot Projects. The 11 awardees receiving grants totaling $1,180,000 in funding for more than five and a half years included Latino Service Providers.
A March 31, 201 newsletter issued by the County of Sonoma Behavioral Health Division stated the following:
Two community partners who contract with SC-BHD – Latino Service Providers (LSP) and Sonoma County Indian Health Project (SCIHP) – delivered presentations at the Summit. SC-BHD staff, as well as consultant Kawahara and Associates, provided assistance to these partners in applying for their conference presentations.
LSP and SCIHP are both funded by the state’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which is administered locally by SC-BHD. Each of these contractors recently received over a million dollars from the state for their work reducing disparities for those seeking mental health services and bolstering the local mental health workforce, with a focus on the Latino and California Native American community here in Sonoma County.
Latino Service Providers received funding last year from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) totaling $1.18 million over five years. This funding will aid LSP in recruiting and training mental health Promotores. These Promotores are launching a community-wide bilingual and Spanish-speaking educational campaign to reduce stigma surrounding mental health, increase awareness of resources, and encourage workforce development in behavioral health careers. LSP is also assisting the County in recruiting and hiring bilingual and bicultural Spanish-speaking staff. Sonoma County Indian Health Project received $1.14 million from CDPH as part of Phase II of the California Reducing Disparities Project. SCIHP’s Aunties and Uncles Program, a Community-Defined Evidence Practice, will provide community-level suicide prevention and mental health stigma and discrimination reduction with its implementation of the Sonoma County funded model.
Before I was forced out of the district as Executive Assistant to the Board and Superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools, the Board spent excessive amounts of time vocalizing their desire to remove School Resource Officers (SRO’s) from campus.
A vocal student ambassador, Ms. Cristina Palacios-Zuniga, was recruited by the Board to support the removal of SRO’s at Board Meetings. Per her LinkedIn, she has served as a Youth Promoter for Latino Service Providers from Apr 2020 - present.
Trustee Alegria de La Cruz has incessantly advocated against SRO’s on campus. She chose not to seek re-election this year.
At one point in time, she refused to approve a vendor warrant to issue payment to SRPD for services already rendered.
As the mental health of SRCS declines and violence spirals out of control, are the trustees more concerned with continual nonprofit funding, or the wellbeing of students?
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
-John 4:24
I sense that this money is going to friends and family pockets. Some may call this money laundering. Hi from Atlanta.