Housing that Heals
Quality, Affordable Housing Solutions for People with Serious Mental Illnesses
Speakers
- Lauren Rettagliata
- Teresa Pasquini
Summary
We came together for our November General Meeting, featuring Speakers Lauren Rettagliata and Teresa Pasquini on their advocacy journey as partners on the “Housing That Heals” project in search of quality, affordable housing solutions for people who live with serious mental illnesses. They combined research with their lived experience to tell a story. NAMI Contra Costa East County Coordinator Alfonzo Edwards began this discussion sharing his work and advancements on the “No One Left Behind” project.
Teresa and Lauren’s “Housing That Heals” white paper that was released on Mother’s Day, 2020, is a call to action that encourages local, state, and federal policymakers and community partners to think beyond the Housing First model and focus first on building a continuum of care for those who live with a serious mental illness. Housing That Heals is a prevention and intervention plan that helped flatten the harm curve by providing the right care at the right time in the right place.
About Teresa Pasquini
Teresa Pasquini is a California mom on a mission for reforming local, state, and national mental health systems. As Chair of the Behavioral Health Care Partnership for 5 years, she served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. She provided testimony in multiple forums, including the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, the National Quality Forum, and an event on Capitol Hill advocating for The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. The Bay Area Newsgroup recognized Teresa for her local mental health advocacy during 2017s Women’s History Month. She is a long-time member of NAMI Contra Costa. As a family member of a son and brother living with serious mental illness, her 45-year personal experience drove her current passion for “Housing That Heals.” She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the newly formed Hope Street Coalition.
About Lauren Rettagliata
Lauren Rettagliata worked with a group referred to as the “Mad Mommies”. This group helped formulate the federal legislation that became Public Law 94-142, which guaranteed a free appropriate public education to each child with a disability. In the 1990s she had the opportunity to put the skills learned in Texas to work restoring the YWCA’s Women & Children’s Crisis Shelter. She was honored as Pueblo’s Woman of the Year and also by the Governor for her work in providing shelter and care to those who were seeking a safe haven from domestic violence. Through NAMI CC’s Family to Family class, she benefited greatly and this led to her becoming involved with the Mental Health Commission. Lauren chaired both the Commission and the Finance Committee of the Commission during her five years on the Commission.
