Sally leading a workshop with her students.

Sally Stevens first became involved with A Window Between Worlds at the Victims’ Rights Symposium in 2014, where she participated in an I CAN WE CAN workshop. Sally immediately felt inspired by AWBW’s mission, thinking “I have found my new niche. I feel like I can rebirth my [approach to] work.” She had no budget, and AWBW was able to support her financially with training and supplies, and a true partnership was formed.

Sally is a Psychiatric Social Worker for Los Angeles Unified School District.  She has worked at schools where almost 90% of students qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act because they are double occupied living with multiple families. In LAUSD, School Mental Health surveyed students and found that 98% of the students reported having experienced one or more traumatic events and 55% display symptoms within the clinical range of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As a Windows Leader she has currently brought art as a tool for transformation to over 3,700 students.

A Window Between Worlds has changed my practice, my life, my students in so many ways.
– Sally Stevens, AWBW Facilitator

Unfortunately, two students died in 2016 from gun violence in the community; both incidences were close to the school.  Sally used the Touchstone workshop for students to grieve and process the loss of life.  As one of the students was a senior and scholar athlete, the students made over 100 touchstones to share with the community and family. Sally spoke at our April 2016 Advocate Huddle just moments after being with the family at the hospital and shared how the art project served as a resource for students processing their own grief as a result of losing one of their peers.

This tragedy is just one example of the adversity her students face.  Sally also used Touchstones for a student who struggles with suicide ideation. “Often times, communicating is difficult when the darkness is strong for this student, so we made a Touchstone that said, ‘I need five minutes.’” He showed the teacher [the Touchstone] and he took a break, whereas before he would have gone into a negative coping behavior.”

AWBW has been able to support Sally in making a major impact in the lives of her students. They come into her office which is a classroom and know to get out the art supplies and start working. “It has changed my practice, my life, my students in so many ways,” she says. “My big thought is always prevention and early intervention.”