As the CEO of the Davis Street Community Center (DSCC) in San Leandro, California, Rose Padilla Johnson has managed a diverse array of community programs for more than 25 years. Committed to serving low-income families, Rose Padilla Johnson oversees programs including health clinic and child care services, as well as community services initiatives such as food drives. On May 11, 2019, DSCC participated in the country’s largest one-day food collection drive, Stamp Out Hunger, which gathers community service organizations and local post offices to donate food to people in need. Marking DSCC’s most successful food drive ever, the community center collected more than 25,000 pounds of food.The 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger drive drew more than 30 volunteers to the San Leandro Post Office on Abram Court. Davis Street staff worked alongside municipal leaders, Key Club members, and high school students to sort thousands of pounds of non-perishable food items to be donated to local food banks. In addition to participating in food drives, DSCC supports low-income families in the area through food, clothing, healthcare, and childcare programs.
Since 1991, community leader Rose Padilla Johnson has led the safety net services provider Davis Street Community Center based in San Leandro. Over her entire public career, Rose Padilla Johnson has spearheaded initiatives that improve the quality of life for San Leandro’s most vulnerable residents. She is an ardent supporter of programs that effectively respond to the state’s teacher shortage.During the 2017-2018 school year, California needed 24,000 more qualified teachers to fill positions at 10,000 schools across the state according to a study conducted by the Learning Policy Institute. That year, only 16,000 new licenses were awarded, while the remaining positions were filled by staff without sufficient teacher training.While the number of students in California teacher preparation programs has increased over the past seven years, widespread concerns about the high cost of teacher training programs and perceived job instability have made it difficult for the state to attract new educators. To combat this, California’s Governor has increased funding for undergraduate teacher preparation programs and initiatives to encourage non-instructional school staff to obtain teaching credentials. Other education professionals suggest that the shortage may be reversed by reinstating loan forgiveness and tuition-free teaching programs.
As the CEO of Davis Street Community Center for 27 years, Rose Padilla Johnson has transformed the center into a one-stop wrap-around services provider delivering medical, educational, and community support to residents of San Leandro and Alameda County. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s leadership, Davis Street expanded its affordable mental health services and provided San Leandro clients with long and short-term therapy options.Short-term therapy is a goal-focused form of cognitive behavioral talk therapy with a set time limit. Therapists meet with clients over a few weeks to a few months to work on issues related to emotional and mental health. Some benefits of short-term therapy include:1. Specificity - Rather than investigating the root of a behavioral pattern, short-term therapy focuses on identifying current problems and implementing pragmatic solutions. This type of counseling is ideal for tackling a specific situation, such as a recent break-up or a new stressful job.2. Intensity - Most therapists include a ‘take-home’ component for their short-term clients, who are expected to consider what they have discussed during the therapy session and record their thoughts and feelings. This intensive reflection portion helps clients make the most out of their brief counseling sessions.3. Low Commitment - Short-term therapy can be appealing to people who are not able to commit to years of counseling. Short-term sessions are more affordable and can provide clients with practical information that they can apply immediately to improve their lives.
