Panetta bringing youth mental health care provider as State of the Union guest

Mar. 4—WATSONVILLE — This Thursday is the president's annual State of the Union address where Joe Biden will address both houses of Congress on his administration's agenda and any big changes in the past year.

It is customary for members of Congress to invite significant figures in their district to attend the address with them. This year, Rep. Jimmy Panetta — whose district includes most of Santa Cruz County — has chosen Jasmine Nájera, a licensed clinical social worker and the CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, as his special guest.

A longtime Santa Cruz County resident, Nájera had served as forensic services supervisor and behavioral health program manager at the Health Services Agency of Santa Cruz County from 2006 to 2021. In 2022, she was named the CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance after Erica Padilla-Chavez became the CEO at Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Cruz County.

Since 1991, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance has provided students with health education, mental health services, substance abuse intervention and prevention services, and direct counseling in an effort to meet their mental health needs. Among the services offered are restorative justice programs, alcohol and drug prevention, youth leadership programs, school-based counseling, a Migrant Head Start program, parenting workshops and more.

"Many young people in California's19th Congressional District and across the country are experiencing growing social pressures and academic stressors," Panetta said in a statement. "Behavioral health leaders like Jasmine are not only instrumental to providing students in our community with care and support, but also figuring out and driving forward innovative solutions needed by today's youth. I'm proud to continue my work in fighting for the federal support that is needed by our community to address this crisis head-on, bolster mental health resources in our schools, and empower our young people to reach their fullest potential."

Nájera will be joining other State of the Union guests from throughout the nation in the House of Representatives gallery in the U.S. Capitol. In a statement, she expressed her excitement at being named Panetta's guest for the event.

"No matter their background, income level, or ZIP code, families deserve access to treatment, services, and programs that promote their overall wellness," she said. "It is an honor to attend the State of the Union as Representative Panetta's guest to highlight the work happening in our community to provide behavioral health services to our young people. Working alongside Rep. Panetta, we look forward to expanding our treatment and workforce development initiatives to confront the growing mental health crisis."

Panetta's guests in past years have included Adriana Gonzalez, a Salinas college student who emigrated to the United States with her family as a Dreamer; former Monterey County farmworker Pablo Martinez; and Chuck Hammers, owner of Pizza My Heart whose Capitola Village location was damaged in last year's heavy rainstorms.

Biden's address will be televised at 6 p.m. Thursday on all channels that broadcast news and live-streamed on the White House's YouTube channel at Youtube.com/@WhiteHouse and the White House's website at Whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2024/.

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(c)2024 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.)

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