In rural Redding, California, between Sacramento and the Oregon border, many students arrive at primary schools anxious or angry or not having eaten or slept. Children and adults in the region were reported to have higher rates of traumatic experiences than those in any other part of the state. Schools can provide students food, a place to rest and clinics for vision, hearing and dental care, as well as vaccines. But one medical intervention — therapy — is limited, despite widespread student interest.
Audrey Cutler sees the need for student therapy. A licensed clinical social worker, she is a counselor at Mistletoe School, a public elementary school in Enterprise Elementary School District in Redding. Cutler has 60 students whom she formally counsels but makes herself available to the 690 students on campus, she said.
