Honoring Miles Hall
Dear FOSATH Warriors,
Miles would have turned 24 this week. Last week were the birthdays of Treyvon Martin (25) and Sandra Bland (33). Families shouldn’t be celebrating with empty chairs.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
Proclamation Day – 2 Events
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Board of Supervisors County
9:20 AM
651 Pine St, Room #107, Martinez
Details/RSVP here.
NAMI Contra Costa
10:30 AM
2151 Salvio St., Suite V, Concord, CA
RSVP here.
First join us at 9:20 AM at the Board of County Supervisors office as we proclaim February 15th "Miles Hall Day of Remembrance!" We will also acknowledge February 16th-22nd as African American Mental Health Awareness Week in Contra Costa County.
Following the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors' Proclamation of "Miles Hall Day of Remembrance", the celebration will continue at NAMI. Please join NAMI CC and the Friends of Miles Alexis and Taun Hall to acknowledge Miles, who would be turning 24 on February 15th. We will release white doves to honor Miles' memory and advance our efforts to create non-violent, non-police interventions for individuals living with mental illness when they are in crisis.
No parent or community should lose their child at the hands of those hired to protect them.
SURJ
Showing Up for Racial justice
Racial Disparities in Mental Health Services
Saturday February 15, 2020
9:00-10:30 am
Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church
55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek
RSVP
Rates of mental illnesses in African Americans are similar with those of the general population. However, disparities exist in regard to mental health care services. Racial/ethnic minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors including inaccessibility of high quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health. Join us to hear Gigi Crowder, Executive Director and Ashley Ciullo, Outreach Coordinator, from NAMI Contra Costa talk about NAMI CC and “Racial Disparities in Mental Health Services.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
City Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
6 PM – 7:30 PM
City of Walnut Creek – City Hall
1666 N Main St, Walnut Creek
Please continue the participating at the twice monthly city council meetings. As Taun pointed out last week, not only are we not going away, we are gaining momentum. About 60 folks showed up last meeting with new speakers and ongoing speakers. You don’t need to give a presentation, holding a sign is demonstrating presence as well. Tuesday, February 18th, we stand up and speak out again for #MilesHall, for mental illness, for policy changes, and for JUSTICE.
We are demanding:
- An independent investigation into all officer-involved shootings/excessive use of force, much like Wisconsin's statute 175.47.
- A non-police, non-violent response to mental health crises (e.g. Crisis Intervention Teams, a MACRO or CAHOOTS-like model for crisis intervention).
- Policy changes that include measurable and ongoing Bias and Diversity Training for all leadership and especially law enforcement and a Restrictive Use of Force policy adopted for Walnut Creek.
- A citizen's advisory group on issues of social importance.
Miles Hall and others who live with mental illness deserve compassion NOT police bullets, We won't stop fighting until we create a mental health-friendly community out of Walnut Creek and beyond!
Black History Month
Mental Health Awareness Event
Saturday, February 22, 2020
9:00 AM - 3 PM
Solomon Temple Ministries International
655 California Avenue, Pittsburg
RSVP
NAMI Crab Feed
Saturday, March 7, 2020
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Pleasant Hill Community Center
320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill
RSVP
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COMMUNITY MEETING
Our next Community Meeting held in conjunction with the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center is on March 12th. Details to come.
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LISTENING SESSIONS UPDATE
NEW! Request for Qualifications Now Open for City of Walnut Creek Planning Assistance, Lead Facilitation and Evaluation for Community Listening and Dialog Sessions - Download RFQ here.
The City is now seeking facilitators for a series of community listening meetings addressing. Please pass along the following information to qualified facilitators!
PROJECT OVERVIEW The City of Walnut seeks to identify consultants who can assist with the planning, facilitation, and evaluation of a series of community listening and dialog sessions. These will be designed to address community concerns following an officer-involved shooting on June 2, 2019, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old African-American Walnut Creek resident. The focus of this effort has been identified by the City, in partnership with the Friends of Scott, Alexis and Taun Hall (FOSATH,) as a means of:
- Providing individuals, families impacted by mental illness, and residents of diverse ethnic backgrounds with the opportunity to express perspectives and opinions
- Identifying the experiences and perceptions of residents of diverse ethnic backgrounds regarding perceived inequitable treatment in the City.
- Identifying the mental health services delivery gaps that can place police in the front line of mental health crisis response.
- Identifying the challenges and concerns that police personnel (dispatchers, supervisors, and officers) have in responding to mental health crisis events.
- Building confidence and trust in the delivery of public safety services.
- Expanding options for response to mental health crises that are not principally dependent upon police actions.
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We sincerely thank you for your support. Together we can and will make change in Miles' honor.
With love and vision,
FOSATH Admins
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