HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-11 City Schools Liaison Committee Agenda Packet
CITY OF PALO ALTO &
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
City Schools Liaison Committee
Regular Meeting
Thursday, September 11, 2025
7:00 PM
Community Meeting Room & Hybrid
250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto
Amended Agenda
Amended Agenda Items Appear Below in RED
City School Liaison Committee meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to
attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. Information on how the public may
observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be
broadcast live on Zoom.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/86280460108)
Meeting ID: 862 8046 0108 Phone: 1(699)900-6833
PUBLIC COMMENTS
General Public Comment for items not on the agenda will be accepted in person for up to three
minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. General public comment will be heard
for 30 minutes. Additional public comments, if any, will be heard at the end of the agenda.
Public comments for agendized items will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to
three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. Written public comments can be
submitted in advance to city.council@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to the Council and
available for inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are
referencing in your email subject line.
PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only
by email to city.clerk@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the
City Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong
cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not
accepted.
Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks,
posts, poles or similar/other type of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not
create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when
displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage
of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.
1 September 11, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/agendas.
CALL TO ORDER
REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A.Open Forum/Public Communications
B.Approval of Minutes
C.City and District Reports
E.Discussion of Partnership with the JED Foundation Items Re-ordered, Late Packet Report
D.Future Business
ADJOURNMENT
2 September 11, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/agendas.
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to city.council@PaloAlto.gov.
2.For in person public comments please complete a speaker request card located
on the table at the entrance to the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Clerk
prior to discussion of the item.
3.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a computer or smart phone will be
accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link
below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using
your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30 ,
Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer. Or download the Zoom application onto
your smart phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter in the
Meeting ID below.
◦You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you
identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you
that it is your turn to speak.
◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
4.Spoken public comments for agendized items using a phone use the telephone number
listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we
know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before
addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called
please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 862 8046 0108 Phone: 1-669-900-6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or
accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or
service.
3 September 11, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/agendas.
California Government Code §84308, commonly referred to as the "Levine Act," prohibits an
elected official of a local government agency from participating in a proceeding involving a
license, permit, or other entitlement for use if the official received a campaign contribution
exceeding $500 from a party or participant, including their agents, to the proceeding within the
last 12 months. A “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” includes most land use and
planning approvals and the approval of contracts that are not subject to lowest responsible bid
procedures and have a value over $50,000. A “party” is a person who files an application for, or
is the subject of, a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use. A
“participant” is a person who actively supports or opposes a particular decision in a proceeding
involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use, and has a financial interest in the
decision. The Levine Act incorporates the definition of “financial interest” in the Political Reform
Act, which encompasses interests in business entities, real property, sources of income, sources
of gifts, and personal finances that may be affected by the Council’s actions. If you qualify as a
“party” or “participant” to a proceeding, and you have made a campaign contribution to a
Council Member exceeding $500 made within the last 12 months, you must disclose the
campaign contribution before making your comments.
4 September 11, 2025
Materials submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection
at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/agendas.
City Schools Liaison Committee
Staff Report
Report Type: REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: September 11, 2025
Report #:2508-5142
TITLE
Discussion of Partnership with the JED Foundation
This will be a late packet report published on 9/4/25.
Item E
Item E Staff Report
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 1 Packet Pg. 5 of 11
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City Schools Liaison Committee
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Lead Department: City Manager
Meeting Date: September 11, 2025
Report #:2509-5173
TITLE
Discussion of Partnership with the JED Foundation
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss the draft updated scope of work between the JED Foundation and the City
of Palo Alto.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
At the April 1, 2025 City Schools Liaison Committee1, the Committee discussed a possible
partnership with the JED Foundation. The Committee approved the following:
Refer the JED Foundation proposal and further refine the scope with stakeholders to the
City Council for Council discussion and potential direction and for continued
collaboration with the School District.
During the FY 2026 City budget discussions, the City Council expressed support of moving
forward with an agreement with JED. City staff and the City Council members of the City
Schools Liaison Committee further refined the scope with the JED Foundation which resulted in
the attached draft scope of work. This agreement is drafted as an agreement between the City
and the JED Foundation with mention of the School District for specific needs. The City Schools
Liaison Committee should review and discuss the draft scope at the September 11 Committee
meeting. City staff will progress the agreement to City Council for approval.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The total not-to-exceed amount is $149,000, which includes $140,000 for services and $9,000
for travel. The City funding source will be identified when this item is brought to full City
Council for approval of the agreement.
1 April 1, 2025 City Schools Liaison Committee Meeting, Item E. Link:
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/tasks/review/94672035-05dc-44fc-b28c-7a732ad09f1d
Item E
Item E Late Packet Report
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 2 Packet Pg. 6 of 11
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ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: DRAFT Scope of Work for JED Foundation Agreement
APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Item E
Item E Late Packet Report
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 3 Packet Pg. 7 of 11
DRAFT Scope of Work for Contract with JED Foundation
As of Sept. 4, 2025
The JED Foundation (CONSULTANT) will provide strategic planning, technical assistance (TA), prevention
and postvention consultation to the City of Palo Alto. CONSULTANT will provide the services described in
this scope of work in a 18-24 month time period for a Not to Exceed amount of $149,000 which includes
$140,000 for services and $9,000 as a not to exceed for eligible reimbursable travel expenses. This
contract can be amended in the future to add additional scope of a Phase 2 upon mutual agreement of
the parties and identified funding.
CONSULTANT will provide the following services in partnership with the CITY’s Project Manager.
Task 1: Provide Postvention Support
CONSULTANT will provide the following deliverables for postvention services:
1. Meetings, Interviews, Focus Groups: CONSULTANT will directly facilitate and coordinate among
local providers opportunities for postvention grief processing and community healing in the
wake of recent losses and historic suicide cluster events. Consultant will engage Project Safety
Net (PSN) for historical knowledge, insight and experience.
2. Gap Analysis Write Up and Postvention Guide: CONSULTANT will conduct a gap analysis of the
current systems of postvention support, followed by the creation of a co-designed and
customized postvention guide to improve responses to loss by suicide (and other unexpected
loss) and reduce the likelihood that other individuals will die by suicide following a loss. CITY will
review a draft of the report and guide and provide comments before the report and guide are
finalized.
3. Messaging Write Ups: CONSULTANT will assist with community-wide safe messaging (including
news shared in local newspapers, community groups and memorials in the community) to
reduce the likelihood that other individuals will die by suicide following a loss.
Task 2: Strengthen Prevention Efforts
CONSULTANT will provide the following deliverables for prevention services:
1. Data Analysis: CONSULTANT will provide data analysis with at least the following data:
a. Regional: local data will be compiled to identify the leading methods of suicide in the
region and potential “hotspots” in an effort to create multipronged approaches to
reducing access to lethal means.
b. Local Schools Data: In partnership with the CITY, CONSULTANT will request data from
the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) that relates to mental health support of
the student population; CONSULTANT will leverage that data to inform citywide
prevention efforts for Palo Alto youth (particularly the K-12 population).
2. Communication:
a. CONSULTANT, in partnership with the CITY, will share this scope of work and progress
updates to PAUSD and will highlight if the update information is suggested to be broadly
shared with PAUSD families.
3. Gap Analysis Write Up on Prevention: CONSULTANT will conduct a gap analysis of the current
programs and services for youth mental health support in Palo Alto, particularly including
identifying those programs and services offered by or financially supported by the City. The gap
analysis will evaluate services offered by age, accessibility of services, supports for specific
demographic groups, availability of types of mental health support services, etc. CONSULTANT
and CITY will agree on what is included in the study and CONSULTANT will produce a report with
Item E
Attachment A - DRAFT
Scope of Work for JED
Foundation Agreement
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 4 Packet Pg. 8 of 11
findings. CONSULTANT will make recommendations on evidence-based programs and
interventions for suicide prevention in communities. The CITY will review a draft of the report
and provide comments before the report is finalized.
4. Advising on Reduction of Lethal Means: CONSULTANT will provide concrete guidance to reduce
access to lethal means, including but not limited to: AI assisted surveillance along the rails,
temporary suicide barriers and deterrents (e.g. nylon netting at common entry points), hopeful
signage with specific low and no cost help-seeking options visible, messaging campaigns about
the benefits of mental health care, and regular environmental scans. This information will be
shared with the CITY through written report and meetings
5. Safety education for local agencies: CONSULTANT will conduct 2 four-hour trainings as
customized, citywide lethal means safety education. CONSULTANT will help train more local
providers in the use and implementation of research-based individual approaches to reducing
access to lethal means (e.g., Counseling on Access to Lethal Means).
6. Policy Development: CONSULTANT will assist in policy review and/or development, based on the
results of the gap analysis, to create clear systems of response and intervention to assist in a
mental health crisis. This can include reviewing and updating existing policies and/or developing
new policies.
Task 3: Facilitate Youth Engagement
CONSULTANT understands that voice, agency, and purpose are essential to healthy development and
wellness. JED will work with youth leaders, community organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure
that Palo Alto’s young people are central to this work.
CONSULTANT recommends the following elements to amplify youth voice and to increase youth
engagement:
1. JED will seek to better understand the needs of Palo Alto’s teens and young adults by recruiting
a diverse sample of participants (approximately 30 - 50) to take part in a series of small (6-8),
structured focus groups regarding the Palo Alto mental health ecosystem (access, awareness,
acceptability). The methodology will include an IRB review, a hybrid model (in-person,
anonymous remote), an interview schedule of key questions and follow-up probes, and a fully
informed consent process.
2. Survey Administration and Analysis: CONSULTANT will administer its well-developed JED High
School Survey where possible for Palo Alto youth in public and private schools. If the survey is
used at PAUSD, it is subject to concurrence by PAUSD to ensure it is not duplicative of other
PAUSD survey tools. The survey tool is intended to get a clearer picture of the
mental health needs and help-seeking preferences among Palo Alto teens. The CITY and
CONSULTANT will request support from local private schools and PAUSD (as appropriate
given note above) to help share the survey to Palo Alto youth.
3. CONSULTANT will work with the CITY to explore the creation of a Peer Task Force to ensure that
young people are meaningfully represented.
4. CONSULTANT will help to generate a roadmap of potential future activities and goals of the
Youth Task Force, as well as guidance on overall convening structure and the prioritization of
initial Task Force activities and agendas.
Task 4: Advise on the City of Palo Alto’s Citywide Campaign/Communications: CONSULTANT can
provide up to 40 hours of expert guidance on campaign concepts and materials to help ensure their
effectiveness and impact. This could include reviewing and sharing expert feedback on creative briefs
and materials, and/or informing potential impact goals and measures. Further details:
Item E
Attachment A - DRAFT
Scope of Work for JED
Foundation Agreement
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 5 Packet Pg. 9 of 11
1. CONSULTANT will evaluate the City’s existing communication tools for sharing resources about
youth mental health and share best practices or share additional tools the City could consider
using. This can be a smaller write up.
2. CONSULTANT will potentially survey about youth access of CITY-provided services, if needed
beyond the gap analysis and communication tools evaluation listed above.
3. CONSULTANT will curate a set of existing, evidence-based resources tailored to the goals and
objectives of the campaign for licensed use, e.g. on the citywide campaign landing page. These
resources might include digital tools, storytelling content, or social-first assets designed to
provide trustworthy information about mental health, including recognizing signs of distress;
supporting open conversation, connection, and help-seeking behaviors; and offering specialized
information for a wide range of feelings, situations, and identities. Examples include: Mental
Health Resource Center content, videos featuring expert advice and voices of lived experience
like Caleb Williams, research reports, and social media assets.
4. Advise on rebuilding of CITY mental health resources webpage to ensure user friendliness for
ease of accessing resources.
Task 5: Trainings to Build Knowledge and Skills
CONSULTANT will provide six (6) standard workshops/trainings with three (3) in person and (3) virtually.
The standard workshops and training can be tailored to address the needs of specific groups. The
workshop/training final topics will be settled upon by the CITY and CONSULTANT based on specific
needs of the Palo Alto community, but some example workshop/training topics include:
● JED’s “You Can Help” training equips participants to understand youth mental health, recognize
signs of distress, learn how to respond, and know when and how to connect young people to
professional resources. JED has developed specialized versions of this training for youth,
educator, and parent audiences.
● “Creating an Inclusive Community of Care” covers the connection between belonging and
mental well-being, identifies the core elements of a culture of care, and offers proven strategies
to combat stigma among historically marginalized groups. It’s recommended for leaders and
staff members of organizations that work with young people.
● “It’s Okay to Say Suicide” Being able to talk openly about suicide opens the door for people to
get help. We are here to not only tell you it’s OK to say suicide, we’re here to show you how.
The target audiences for the Palo Alto-specific workshops/trainings will be determined by the City of
Palo Alto based on community need. Examples include community groups, schools, school districts, etc.
Travel for Contract:
Based on the scope of work, travel is required for the CONSULTANT. With the expectation that
CONSULTANT will deliver services within Palo Alto, the reimbursable travel not to exceed cost is $9,000.
Option to Amend Contract to Add Additional Scope:
Upon interest, funding, and agreement of both parties, this contract can be amended to add additional
scope related to co-creating and supporting a youth mental health summit and to build capacity for
sustainable engagement, prevention, and postvention. Further scope would be developed for this
additional work upon interest, funding, and agreement of both parties.
Item E
Attachment A - DRAFT
Scope of Work for JED
Foundation Agreement
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 6 Packet Pg. 10 of 11
Contract Timeline
Below is the estimated timing for the Tasks within this report.
Task # Description Estimated Completion Date
1 Provide Postvention Support One year from signing of
contract
2 Strengthen Prevention Efforts One year from signing of
contract
3 Facilitate Youth Engagement Within 18 months of signing of
contract
4 Advise on the City of Palo Alto’s Citywide Campaign/
Communications
Within 18 months of signing of
contract
5 Trainings to Build Knowledge and Skills Within one year of signing of
contract
Contract Cost Estimates
Below is the estimated pricing for the Tasks within this report.
Task # Description Estimated Cost For the Task
1 Provide Postvention Support $31,350
2 Strengthen Prevention Efforts $33,100
3 Facilitate Youth Engagement $21,300
4 Advise on the City of Palo Alto’s Citywide Campaign/
Communications
$30,850
5 Trainings to Build Knowledge and Skills $23,400
Travel Costs not to exceed: $9,000 for 6 trips
Item E
Attachment A - DRAFT
Scope of Work for JED
Foundation Agreement
Item E: Staff Report Pg. 7 Packet Pg. 11 of 11