Nature and Pediatric Mental Health Chapter Chat
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
We would like to invite you to join our next Mental Health Chapter Chat on Wednesday, May 21! Hear about two innovative programs that use time in nature to promote pediatric mental health: Park Rx, a medical model where pediatricians prescribe time in nature and offer free passes to County parks for low income patients and their families, and the Gateway Mountain Institute’s Whole Hearts Minds & Bodies program, a clinically supervised, nature-based, therapeutic mentoring program for young people who have complex emotional and behavioral needs and the only nature-based behavioral health treatment program certified by Medi-Cal. We will also discuss current medical literature about the health and healing benefits of time in nature.
RSVP Here
Meet our Speakers
Melinda S. Malher (she/her) has worked in leadership as a Clinical Director, educator, community organizer and board member. She holds a Master’s degree in Expressive Therapies with an emphasis in mental health counseling and dance/movement therapy; is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (#3329); Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist. Working with youth has been a passion, over the last dozen years Melinda has worked in special education, inpatient acute psychiatry, community mental health, recreational services and eating disorder recovery with a variety of young clients and presentations. She was named “Leader of Tomorrow” and received the “Outstanding Achievement” Award for her contributions to the American Dance Therapy Association over the years. In addition to her work at Whole Hearts, Minds & Bodies, Melinda teaches in a counseling Masters program, takes dance classes, does crossfit, escapes to nature and reads often. She is grateful to live and work in San Francisco where there is always adventure to be had.
Rachel Borovina, MD FAAP, pediatrician at the Fair Oaks Children’s Clinic of San Mateo Medical Center
Dr. Borovina grew up in San Mateo County. While obtaining her undergraduate degree from UC Davis, she worked with California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition), a Sacramento-based program of the Public Health Institute which aims to advance nutrition policy in schools and early childcare settings. Thereafter, Dr. Borovina completed medical school and pediatric residency training at UCSF. Inspired by the multi-disciplinary approach of San Francisco General Hospital’s Healthy Lifestyles Clinic (HLC), she started an HLC for San Mateo Medical Center in 2005. HLC-SM works with low-income patients and their families to encourage healthy lifestyles; families are also connected to resources such as CalFresh and Second Harvest Food Bank. Dr. Borovina hopes to utilize the Champion Provider Fellowship to create consistent environments in the community that promote healthy lifestyles, insure safe spaces for physical activity, and promote good dietary habits with young children, empowering them to make healthy choices as they continue to grow.
Chair(s): Diane Dooley, MD, MHS, FAAP, Elizabeth Grady, MD, FAAP
Contact: info@aapca1.org