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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Tatiana Costello, Staff Member at Brotherhood Sister Sol
6:10:18
·
143 sec
Tatiana Costello, a staff member at Brotherhood Sister Sol and licensed social worker, testified about the urgent need for increased mental health support and restorative justice programs for youth in schools. She shared personal experiences highlighting the challenges faced by students and the difficulties in addressing their mental health needs within the current system.
- Costello described situations where she felt powerless to help students, including an incident where an 8-year-old attempted suicide in school.
- She emphasized the importance of mental health support and restorative justice programs for students' lives and livelihoods.
- Costello urged the council to consider funding these programs to better support youth in the education system.
Tatiana Costello
6:10:18
Hi, my name is Tatiana Costello.
6:10:22
I'm a staff member at the Brotherhood Sisters Soul.
6:10:25
I'm also a licensed social worker.
6:10:27
I've previously worked as a school social worker and I've also been a youth advocate for the last ten years.
6:10:33
No, I'm not that old.
6:10:34
I've just been doing this since I was a youth.
6:10:37
Transparently, this is probably one of my least favorite parts of my job.
6:10:44
Not because I don't love the youth.
6:10:46
It's not because I don't see the good things city councils are doing.
6:10:51
It just is really difficult to urge and beg for resources while we all watch our youth suffer.
6:10:58
I recently was talking to one of my youth members and she just looked at me and asked me like what's wrong with me?
6:11:07
You know, I don't I don't have an answer for that.
6:11:09
I can tell her nothing's wrong like I don't know what's going on, but there's nothing I can do about the way the school system treats her.
6:11:16
There's nothing I can do about the relationship that she's in that's just not good and I can't play a double role as a social worker and also be a youth advocate for her.
6:11:29
I've also been in situations where I was a school social worker and an eight year old tried to take her life in the school gym.
6:11:39
I don't know how you explain to the other students why she did that.
6:11:43
I know a lot about her history.
6:11:45
I knew that her mom tried to also harm her.
6:11:48
I knew why she tried to do that.
6:11:50
I just didn't know what to say to everyone else when that was happening.
6:11:56
And so most mostly, you know, I have statistics.
6:12:01
You know, I have a degree.
6:12:02
I could say all those things, but I think most importantly just wanting to urge that our youth need help.
6:12:10
They need more mental health support.
6:12:11
They need more restorative justice because without it it isn't just about them not being suspended.
6:12:19
It's about their lives and their livelihood and if they do make it out.
6:12:24
So just would encourage and urge y'all to consider funding the restorative justice programs, extending mental health support, and really thinking about the youth that I'm sure are in your lives, that are in our lives moving forward.
6:12:41
Thank you.