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Podcasts & Media Appearances
Conversations across podcasts, television, webinars, national panels, case studies, and conference sessions exploring leadership, student support, mental health, innovation, and family engagement.
Case Study · September 16, 2026 · Cartwheel · Article
Behind Strong School Mental Health Partnerships: Lessons from Three Massachusetts Districts
Featured Leadership & Mental Health Partnership
Dr. Brenda Ortiz McGrath joined Massachusetts education leaders for a conversation hosted by Cartwheel Care on what effective school mental health partnerships look like in practice. In the feature, she discusses Chelsea Public Schools' proactive approach to reducing mental health stigma, building bilingual and bicultural supports, engaging families, and using real-time referral data to strengthen access to care. She also highlights her leadership philosophy of knowing students by Name, Strength, and Story and the importance of building trusted partnerships that understand the communities they serve.
Webinar · May 6, 2026 · The Educator's Room · Streamed live
Doing the Work: Advancing Equity, SEL, and Whole-Child Systems
A live conversation about what it truly means to "do the work" of equity-centered education — strengthening mental-health services, student engagement, MTSS, and whole-child systems so every student is supported and positioned to thrive. Drawing on her roles as District Administrator PK–12 for Chelsea Public Schools and the first Latina leader of Waltham High School, Brenda shares practical insights from over a decade of driving systemic change in urban education.
Podcast · Episode 16 · 2026
The Bells I Hear Podcast
Shared by Mentor A Promise
In this episode, Brenda Ortiz McGrath, MSW, reflects on her journey from social worker to school and district leader, and why supporting the whole student has always been at the heart of her work. From social-emotional learning to meaningful family engagement, her insights are a powerful reminder that connection and care matter.
Podcast · March 13, 2026 · 15 minutes
The CharacterStrong Podcast
Building School Systems That Strengthen Connection, Culture, and Student Success — a conversation about district leadership, school culture, relationship-building, proactive student supports, character development, CoreKind360, and systems that strengthen student success.
Podcast · February 4, 2025 · Season 3, Episode 13 · 61 minutes
The Growth Over Grades Podcast
Brenda Peña on Building Holistic Student Support Through Social-Emotional Learning — an in-depth conversation about districtwide SEL, restorative practices, multilingual family engagement, mental health, and sustainable whole-child systems.
Podcast · July 8, 2024 · Episode 36 · 34 minutes
Make It Mindful: An Education Podcast
Filling the Mental Health Support Gap in Schools with Alongside, an AI-empowered app — a conversation about access to care, stigma reduction, and technology as a complement to comprehensive school-based support.
Television · 2026
The 15 Minute Advocate
A conversation with Arlene Velleman about mental health, social-emotional learning, CoreKind360, advocacy, and Mami’s Coquí Song.
Podcast · July 18, 2024 · Bonus Episode
#SameHere Schools
Rebroadcast of the Make It Mindful episode
The Make It Mindful conversation shared with a broader mental-health audience, extending the discussion of AI, student mental health, and accessible school-based supports.
Panel · June 26, 2024
School Mental Health in the Age of AI
An Alongside national panel of district student-support leaders discussing the opportunities, risks, and practical considerations of integrating AI and technology into school mental-health and MTSS systems.
Webinar · Recorded webinar
Transforming a High-Needs Student Population with Innovative Wellness Tools
An Alongside presentation highlighting Chelsea Public Schools’ comprehensive approach to student mental health, universal screening, MTSS, early intervention, and equitable access to supports.
Interview · Featured leadership video
Brenda Peña on SEL & Specialized Student Supports
An Alongside feature on scalable Tier 1 mental-health supports, multilingual access, early intervention, and using AI to expand support without replacing human relationships.
Case Study · Partner story
Chelsea Public Schools: Building Community Buy-In from Staff and Families
An Alongside case study featuring Brenda’s leadership in implementation through family communication, SEL leadership, staff engagement, and districtwide systems of support.
Conference · Conference session
Reimagining Tier 1 Student Support with a Clinician-Developed AI Resource
At the bryt Symposium, Brenda Ortiz McGrath and Scott Freschet explored how Alongside, a clinician-developed AI resource for grades 4–12, can offer universal skill-building support alongside school staff and connect students with adults when additional help is needed.
Conference · 2024
Nuestra Comunidad: How One District Leverages Tech to Enhance Community Mental Health
At the National Center for School Mental Health Annual Conference, Brenda Peña and Elsa Friis shared Chelsea Public Schools’ inclusive mental-health model and its integration of technology into Tier 1 supports.
Webinar · August 1, 2024 · Recorded webinar
Wellness Strategies for All: Support In and Out of the Classroom
An edWeb Mental Health & Wellness Week session on practical, districtwide wellness strategies that support students inside the classroom and beyond it.
Interview · 2021
781 News Interview with the Waltham High School Principal
A local news conversation with Brenda Peña as the first Latina principal of Waltham High School, on school leadership, community, and supporting students.
Interview · Wellness series
NSCS Wellness Series, Episode 3
A conversation on student wellness, school-based mental health, and the supports schools can build around young people and their families.
Keynote · Community keynote
Lynn PRIDE Flag Raising — Keynote Speech
Keynote remarks at the City of Lynn PRIDE flag raising on belonging, dignity, and creating communities where every young person is seen and valued.
Speech · June 11, 2024 · State House testimony
Massachusetts Educator Diversity Act — Testimony
Public remarks in support of the Massachusetts Educator Diversity Act and the importance of a teaching and leadership workforce that reflects its students.
