Whole Child Wellness

In my years as a therapist working with children and families, inside schools and inside their homes, I watched the same thing happen over and over: a student labeled as a behavior problem who was actually a child in crisis. A kid falling behind academically who was actually struggling with anxiety, trauma, or instability at home. A teenager who looked fine until they weren’t.

Our schools are not equipped to handle the mental health load our students are carrying. Referral processes are too slow. And for too long, mental health has been treated as a luxury add-on instead of a core part of what it means to educate the whole child.

I am running to change that, and unlike most candidates who say the same thing, I have the clinical training, the classroom experience, and the personal conviction to actually do it.

What I Will Fight For:

• Trauma-informed practices district-wide, so that every teacher and administrator understands what stress and adversity look like in a child’s behavior
• Faster, clearer pathways for students to access mental health support, without stigma, without red tape
• Community partnerships that bring licensed mental health professionals into our schools as ongoing resources
• Education for parents on how to recognize signs of struggle and connect their children with help

A child who is not well cannot learn. A child who is not seen cannot thrive. And a school system that ignores this is not really educating anyone,  it’s just processing them. District 3 deserves better. Our kids deserve to be treated as whole human beings.