Activism
‘Let’s Talk’ a Valuable Toolkit for Middle and High School Families
“This initiative is such a benefit to our parents and youth to learn about the influence and risk of substance use and to have open dialog within families,” said Kathy Koblick, Marin HHS’s Public Health Division Director. “Over the past 2 ½ years as we have dealt with the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in mental health struggles and substance use. Let’s Talk is impacting our community in a positive way by tackling some of these issues.”

Program boosts awareness of underage substance use and mental health issues
Courtesy of Marin County
The third annual issue of the “Let’s Talk” booklet has been distributed to 5,000 Marin County families of this fall’s sixth and ninth grade students at local public and private schools. This resource educates parents on how to practice positive ways to communicate, listen and connect with their children as they develop through adolescence.
The booklet is developed by the Let’s Talk collaboration that includes the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE), the RxSafe Marin grassroots coalition, the Marin Prevention Network, and Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships (MHYP).
Let’s Talk is a comprehensive program that includes community discussions, bookmarks, posters, postcards, and digital copies of the booklets all of which can be found on www.letstalkmarin.org. The community discussions are designed to further engage the community about these important issues with a background of solid science.
“Adolescence is a time of tremendous growth that is filled with opportunities and challenges,” said Linda Henn, the Let’s Talk program director and Vice President of MHYP Board of Directors. “Through Let’s Talk, we equip parents with knowledge to be supportive while they mentor their young person.”
Feedback from parents, young people, and public health personnel clarifies how Let’s Talk is a much-needed tool that helps parents navigate tough topics of their teens’ formative years.
“This initiative is such a benefit to our parents and youth to learn about the influence and risk of substance use and to have open dialog within families,” said Kathy Koblick, Marin HHS’s Public Health Division Director. “Over the past 2 ½ years as we have dealt with the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in mental health struggles and substance use. Let’s Talk is impacting our community in a positive way by tackling some of these issues.”
Since its first 2020 issue, “Let’s Talk” has positively educated parents about how to help teens “navigate the tough stuff” they experience during their transition to middle school and high school such as challenges with mental health, substance use, puberty and social experience.
Surveys conducted fall 2021 reveal that parents of sixth and ninth graders believe “Let’s Talk” is informative and helpful. For example, one parent wrote: “The booklet takes an important issue and bravely introduces it to middle schoolers and their parents. Knowing schools and parent communities support open discussions is hopeful, helpful, and refreshing.”
Surveys distributed to attendees after each of the six Let’s Talk community discussions also had positive responses. “All panelists were terrific and the teens’ discussion of teen experience and parent and teen bonding was extremely informative, insightful and authentic,” one attendee wrote.
Many of the surveyed parents also stated an interest in youth perspectives about Let’s Talk. In response, a group of Marin high school interns have shared their responses about the updated booklet.
“Hearing teens out makes them feel like equals and lets them know that you care about their input, and what they have to say, which helps them to understand the decisions parents might have to make,” says intern Alexis Cartwright, a Redwood High School senior.
“When I was a freshman in high school, I felt that a lot of parents tend to bypass communication opportunities and do things like snoop on their kids’ phones or try sneaky ways to figure out what was going on with their kids,” I like Let’s Talk’s suggestion about how car rides, watching TV together, and local occurrences provide appropriate communications opportunities for parents to navigate conversations with their teens.” says intern Amanda Gong, a Novato High School senior.
For more information, email info@mhyp.org.
Activism
Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress
“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) expressed deep gratitude to her constituents and marked the end of her 26-year career in public service.
Lee, who is succeeded by Lateefah Simon, a civil rights and racial justice activist, praised people in her community for their support. She also highlighted her dedication to promoting peace, justice, and equity.
“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.
Throughout her tenure, Lee earned a reputation as a principled lawmaker known for taking bold and sometimes unpopular stances. One of her defining moments came in 2001 when she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in response to the September 11 attacks. This decision led to death threats but ultimately cemented her legacy of courage.
Lee’s leadership extended beyond her district, where she fought for social justice, the rights of low-income communities, and global health initiatives. She was a key figure in pushing for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She was a vocal critic of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion services.
The Congresswoman also faced significant challenges in her career, including a failed Senate bid in 2024. Yet, Lee’s efforts have paved the way for more excellent representation, with more Black women now elected to Congress. She worked closely with organizations like Representation Matters to encourage more women of color to run for office.
Lee says she looks to the future, confident that the next generation of leaders will continue her unfinished work, particularly on issues like military force and reproductive rights.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
OP-ED: Like Physicians, U.S. Health Institutions Must ‘First, Do No Harm’
Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same. It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

By Albert L. Brooks MD
Special to The Post
Presidential administrations significantly impact the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities.
Through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies within it, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health, this new administration will decide how financial resources are allocated, dictate the focus of federal research, and determine how our public health care insurance systems are managed, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children program, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The decisions made over the next four years will impact all Americans but will be felt more acutely by those most underserved and vulnerable.
As physicians, we are greatly concerned by the nominations announced by President Trump to critical healthcare related positions. Many of their previous statements and positions are rooted in misinformation.
Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same.
It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.
Vaccines, in particular, have been a target of disinformation by some HHS nominees. In fact, research continues to confirm that vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines go through multiple rounds of clinical trials prior to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for administration to the public.
Vaccines protect against life-threateningdiseasessuch as measles, polio, tetanus, and meningococcal disease and, when used effectively, have beenshowntoeliminateorsubstantiallyreducediseaseprevalenceand/orseverity.
Because of vaccine mis- and disinformation, there has been a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough, endangering those who are too young or unable to be vaccinated.
Several nominees have spread disinformation alleging that fluoride in public drinking water is harmful. In fact, fluoride in drinking water at the recommended level of 0.7 parts per million, like we have in our EBMUD water, is safe and keeps teeth strong. Because of public health interventions dating back to the 1960s that have resulted in 72.3% of the U.S. population now having access to fluoridated water, there has been a reduction in cavities by about 25% in both children and adults.
We also encourage the next administration to invest in our public health infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of public health agencies in preventing and responding to health crises in our communities.
Health departments at the state and local levels rely on federal funding support and technical assistance to develop public health response plans, implement public health strategies, and work with on the ground organizations to serve hard to reach communities. Public health agencies are critical for protecting everyone in our communities, regardless of income-level, insurance status, or housing status.
Health officials should also work to protect the significant improvements in insurance coverage that have occurred since the passage of theACAin 2010.According to HHS, the numberofuninsuredAmericansfellfrom48millionin2010to25.6millionin2023.
California has led the way by investing in Medi-Cal and expanding eligibility for enrollment. In fact, it reached its lowest uninsured rate ever in 2022 at 6.2%. Voters affirmed this commitment to expanding and protecting access to care in November by passing Proposition 35, which significantly expanded funding for California’s Medi-Cal program. The administration should advance policies that strengthen the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare and improve access to affordable health care.
Regardless of the president in power, physicians will always put the best interests of our patients and communities at the forefront. We will continue to be a resource to our patients, providing evidence-based and scientifically proven information and striving to better their lives and our community’s health. We urge the new Trump administration to do the same.
Albert L. Brooks MD is the immediate past president of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, which represents 6,000 East Bay physicians.
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