Kaiser Permanente Funds Three Years of Trauma Care for Pasadena Unified Students

Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and Pasadena, the students of Pasadena Unified still carry it with them. A $5 million grant from Kaiser Permanente, announced this week, will pay for three years of mental and physical health services designed to meet them where they are.

The grant, administered through the Pasadena Educational Foundation, funds clinical social workers, a restorative practices liaison, expanded hours at the PUSD Health Clinic, confidential wellness spaces at school sites, and five seasonal teachers for PEF’s Summer Enrichment Programs. The funding arrives as the district continues to rebuild after the fire displaced thousands of families and damaged or destroyed five PUSD campuses on January 7, 2025.

“Our students, families, and staff are still recovering from the Eaton Fire, and this grant from Kaiser Permanente and our partnership with the Pasadena Educational Foundation will help deepen and sustain the work we’ve been doing to support students’ social, emotional, and physical health,” said Dr. Elizabeth Blanco, PUSD superintendent, in a joint press release issued by the district, Kaiser Permanente, and the Pasadena Educational Foundation. “Expanded mental health services at schools will provide enhanced trauma-responsive support so that every student feels cared for and able to learn.”

The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres across Altadena, Pasadena, and surrounding communities. Two-thirds of the district’s 14,000 students lived in evacuation zones or burn areas during the fire, and instruction at all 24 PUSD campuses was disrupted for at least two weeks, according to district records. About 1,100 students lost their homes. More than 300 staff members also lost their homes. More than 9,400 structures were destroyed across the community.

The district has already hired two clinical social workers and a restorative practices liaison who will work with students and provide training in peer mediation, conflict resolution, and community circles, according to the press release. Additional hiring is underway.

The grant also funds trauma-informed professional development for all district employees, equipping teachers and staff to recognize and respond to the effects of trauma in classrooms and on campuses, and strengthens restorative practices and crisis-response capacity across the district, according to the announcement.

“Kaiser Permanente’s health mission and PUSD’s educational mission are connected because education is so important to lifelong health,” said Michelle Gaskill-Hames, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii, in the press release. “Trauma disrupts learning, relationships, and a child’s sense of possibility. With this grant, we’re investing in the well-being of our children so they can overcome challenges, learn, and succeed.”

Gaskill-Hames said the Eaton Fire represented a collective trauma that severely affected schools, students, and families across the district.

The Pasadena Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that raises $12 million to $15 million annually for PUSD, will manage the grant in coordination with the district.

“PEF and PUSD’s Student Wellness and Support Services team worked hand in hand on this grant, designing a plan that meets the district’s goals and aligns with Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to community health,” said Dr. Patrick Conyers, PEF’s executive director, in the press release. “This partnership ensures that students and families have access to coordinated, compassionate support, both inside the classroom and beyond it.”

The funding comes as PUSD confronts a multimillion-dollar budget deficit driven by declining enrollment, rising costs, and insufficient state funding — pressures compounded by the fire. The grant supports student health services outside the district’s strained general fund, according to district officials.

PUSD serves approximately 14,000 students across Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre. The district’s Student Wellness and Support Services department houses two internal mental health programs — PUSD Mental Health Services and THRIVE: School Mental Health — that provide individual therapy, crisis intervention, and case management on school campuses.

For families seeking mental health support for a PUSD student, contact the district’s mental health services team at (626) 396-5920 or mentalhealth@pusd.us. More about the Pasadena Educational Foundation is available at www.pased.org.

The fire took the buildings. The grant is a bet that it doesn’t have to take the children.