Topics Summary In an effort to better respond to crises and avoid tragedies involving law enforcement, Contra Costa Health Services was involved in a robust stakeholder process, which included selected community advocates, County Behavioral Health, law enforcement personnel, and individuals with lived mental health experience. This “Rapid Improvement Event” series focused on the need for […]
Women’s History Month Special Speakers About the Speakers Milly Alvarez Milly Alvarez, LCSW, was the Program Director of Towne House Creative Living Center in Oakland under Cecile Weaver and then became Director in 1987 until she retired in 2010. Towne House Creative Living Center, which is now called Towne House Wellness Center, was a program
Black History Month Special Speaker Summary Wandah discussed the challenges of raising two African American sons who lived with mental illness. She shared the impact it had on African American families and highlighted some of the disparities she experienced from being in this population. She discussed the importance of having conversations about and heightening awareness
BART Changes BART Set to Hire Civilian Social Workers Instead of Filling Police Officer Positions to Deal with Social Problems Speaker Summary Armando Sandoval has over 30 years of experience working with law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the mental health field and community. Over 15 years of those years include experience as a
NAMI CC Family Holiday Sing-A-Long Summary Although NAMI Contra Costa wasn’t with you physically during the holidays as we honored COVID-19 protocol, we were there virtually. For our December General Meeting, we hosted a Virtual Family Holiday Sing-A-Long party with novice and professional singers. As was our tradition, we gathered our families in front of
When someone rejects a diagnosis of mental illness, it’s tempting to say that he’s “in denial.” But someone with acute mental illness may not be thinking clearly enough to consciously choose denial. They may instead be experiencing “lack of insight” or “lack of awareness.” The formal medical term for this medical condition is anosognosia, from
When They Don’t Believe They’re III: A Discussion on Anosognosia Read More »
Ask the Experts Suicide Prevention and Crisis Intervention Strategies Speakers Summary The month of September is National Suicide Awareness Month. Therefore, the topic for NAMI Contra Costa’s General Meeting in September focused on suicide prevention. The Contra Costa Crisis Center was well-aware that COVID-19 and the continuing social distancing protocols were creating sustained stress in