If you haven’t already, please check out our “About MHAA-SC” page, to learn a little about our mission, how we got started, and what you can do to get involved in the fight for increased mental health services in Sonoma County.
As with anything we’re passionate about, there are a hundred ways that we could get involved in working for change in our community. Through a collaborative process including input from all our community stakeholders, we developed a list of three issues we felt were most important to address. If you would like to learn more about what we’re doing on any one of these specifics, please contact us at mhaasc@gmail.com.
- First and foremost, we need to restore the psych emergency beds that have been eliminated in the past year. Those suffering from mental illness don’t need the added trauma of being shipped to Merced, Sacramento, Oakland, or anywhere else. As a community we have to begin placing a higher priority on treatment and services for those who are unable to care for themselves.
- Second, we are advocating for the re-establishment of an on-call Mobile Crisis Intervention Team. Teaming police officers with licensed social workers is a proven solution, emulated in countless cities across the country. It’s been a decade since the last crisis team was operational in Sonoma County – and they found something amazing – not only did Crisis Intervention decrease injury to suspects, but it saved the police department time and money by allowing officers to get back to their posts more quickly. It just makes sense.
- Lastly, we’re urging that the County resume funding of community based service providers. Where crisis care ends, community service providers begin. They crop up wherever a need arises, from peer support groups provided at Interlink, to drug and alcohol treatment at DAAC, and free medical services at the Community Free Clinic. It’s essential that these services continue, as they provide a critical safety net for individuals with mental illness, as well as their families and loved ones.
We’re getting started on this work by bringing together advocates, consumers, providers, and the general public to discuss community needs, and develop strategies to implement our goals. We strongly encourage you to come to one of our meetings, and get involved in this critical work.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone, or send us an email.
