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CBHA Public Newsletter
December 16th, 2021
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A Message from CBHA Leadership: Gearing Up for 2022
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Dear Colleagues,
As we prepare to enter 2022, the United States has reached a grim milestone in our fight against COVID-19. Earlier this week, the death toll in the United States reached over 800,000 - older Americans making up 3/4 of those deaths. In California and across the nation, we continue to grapple with the individual and collective traumas of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has been extremely challenging for us all, we must acknowledge and address the reality that it has disproportionally affected Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at nearly 1.9 times the rate of their white counterparts. COVID-19 presented another contributor of chronic toxic stress, revealing the scope and magnitude of generational inequities for BIPOC communities, particularly in health care. And, we have not seen or experienced the full impact of the pandemic.
America has woken up to the fact we are on the verge of a behavioral health crisis like we have never seen before, and once again, due to inequities in our systems of care, BIPOC communities are set to bear the disproportional impact of the crisis. According to a study done by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, nearly half of all Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American individuals say they have personally experienced increased mental health challenges over the past 12 months, but few received treatment. For example, 46% of Black adults say they are experiencing more stress and mental health challenges, but just 21% say they have received treatment or care of any kind for their mental health. With respect to substance use, 13% of adults surveyed say they are more aware of their substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, just 3% of the 10% of Native American adults surveyed received treatment for substance use.
As we determine a strategy to combat the growing mental health and substance use crisis, CBHA is committed to working with our members, allied organizations, and elected officials to create and improve existing behavioral health policies.
Yesterday, the Assembly Health and Judiciary Committees held a joint informational hearing to examine the implementation of the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act. CBHA remains committed to advocating for the appropriate use of funds to provide services to individuals under the LPS Act. We want to thank Chair Wood and Chair Stone for their leadership in hosting this hearing and our colleagues who spoke on behalf of behavioral health systems across California. We also want to acknowledge the powerful testimony from the consumer panel. As one consumer stated “…we cannot have whole person care until we transform the whole continuum of care.” Click the buttons below to view yesterday's agenda and read CBHA's full testimony.
CBHA knows that a critical component to achieving our goals for the behavioral health of California is bolstering and supporting the behavioral health workforce. See the announcement below and join us for our Winter Policy Forum, Reimagining the Behavioral Health Workforce: Promoting Health Equity through Access to Care on January 24th, 2022. CBHA is honored to provide a forum for policymakers, community members and leaders, and behavioral health professionals to engage in dialogue about reimagining the behavioral health workforce.
As 2021 comes to a close, we must acknowledge that we have come a long way through unprecedented challenges, moving forward through compassion, selflessness, and resilience. Although there is still much work to do, we have persevered through so much together as a state and nation.
CBHA staff wishes you a Happy Holiday Season and beyond, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to advocate for behavioral health in California. Most of all, we hope each of you is surrounded by people you love and who love you this holiday season.
In Service,
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Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
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Reimagining the Behavioral Health Workforce: Promoting Health Equity through Access to Care - Space is limited!
January 24th, 2022 | 9 AM - 5:00 PM PST | Social Hour: 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento
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CBHA is proud to host our first in-person event since the beginning of the pandemic! Reimagining the Behavioral Health Workforce: Promoting Health Equity through Access to Care on January 24th, 2022 9 AM - 5:00 PM PST is an in-person opportunity to engage with policymakers and leaders in the behavioral health arena and discuss issues of concern, including youth behavioral health, the opioid epidemic, homelessness, and the behavioral health workforce crisis.
Expanding the behavioral health workforce, which includes recruiting, training, and retaining staff, is a top priority for CBHA. Join us as we work strategically and collaboratively to pursue public policy initiatives that create system change for diverse communities across our state.
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Founder of Cities Thrive and Thrive NYC & Former First Lady of NYC
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Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, SAMSHA
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Director of the California Department of Health Care Services
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California State Senator, District 11
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California Assemblymember, District 31
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COVID-19 protocols will be in place, including requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event, social distancing, and mandatory masking regardless of vaccination status. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot ASAP.
CBHA has reserved rooms for those coming from outside of Sacramento, please click here to book your accommodations. We will also be hosting a social hour from 5:30-7:00 PM PST. Finally, there will be a members-only policy breakfast on January 25th, 2021 from 9-10:30 AM PST, to rsvp please see the registration page.
CBHA Member: $150 (Member Benefit: Eventbrite fees absorbed by CBHA), Non-Member: $200
We are excited to see you all in-person once again to advocate for behavioral health in California!
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We appreciate UST, long-time Affinity Member, for their partnerships that both provide our members exceptional services and sponsor our advocacy efforts.
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We appreciate our Business Associates for their partnerships that both provide our members exceptional services and sponsor our advocacy efforts.
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We're social. Connect with us!
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