If you would like to sign onto the letter as an individual or as representative of an organization, a Change.org petition has been set up here. 

 

It will automatically email the president, speaker, president pro tempore, as well as the signer's representatives (determined through zip code).  If you would like to pass this on to others who may wish to sign, please do so.

 

In summary, the petition says that as people who have direct, lived experience with mental illness and addiction, as family members caring for our loved ones with these illnesses, as counselors and health care workers, and as leaders of behavioral health programs, we call on the leaders of our Nation to begin with us a road to recovery from these tragedies. We call on our nation's leaders to

• Immediately implement school, family and community-based programs to promote mental health, to prevent mental illness and substance abuse, and to provide early interventions for those exhibiting these conditions.
• Immediately begin teaching students at all levels to recognize the signs of mental illness and addiction, and to seek help when needed.
• Immediately expand  the capacity of community mental health and substance abuse services, integrate behavioral health into medical care.

Yes, we must grieve for the Innocents, just as we grieved recently for those lost in Tucson, Aurora, and Portland. But, this time, our grieving must have a direction and purpose to galvanize action. As people who know first-hand the tragedies of mental illness and addiction, and the triumphs that are possible, we in the mental health and substance use community call on the leaders of our country to take immediate action.  We are here to help our nation heal from these wounds.

For the last 2 years, the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities and the Latino Mental Health Concilio have been working on a statewide project funded by the Department of Mental Health called the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP). Recently we completed and released the final report titled Community-Defined Solutions for Latino Mental Health Care Disparities or Latino Population Report and are now in the dissemination phase. As part of our dissemination, we are planning to host four regional training workshops across California to discuss the implementation of the strategies detailed in our report.   

 

The regional training workshops will include the following: 1) Overview of the training, background and significance, 2) Strategies to Improve Access to Mental Health Care , 3) Evidence-Based Community-Identified Strategies, 4) Strategic Directions and Recommended Actions,  as well as a  5) Pre and Post-test.  

 

Details: 

January 29, 2013 from 8:30-2:00 at the Sacramento Training and Employment Agency (SETA), located at 925 Del Paso Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.