FOR PRESS INQUIRIES CONTACT: Sage Miller, Communications & Public Relations Specialist at
smiller@cccbha.org, 206-890-1126
Sacramento, CA - Gang prevention and intervention are possible with collaborative efforts that address the root causes of a different kind of violence. The violence of indifference, silence, and inaction from agencies and institutions afflict black and brown neighborhoods. Surviving poverty in Del Paso Heights was magnified, exacerbated, and almost insurmountable when crack cocaine and gang warfare nearly decimated the community. The response, as we know, was the over-incarceration of black and brown residents. In 2017, the Public Policy Institute of California found, 28.5% of the state's male prisoners were African American—compared to just 5.6% of the state's adult male residents.
For black and brown neighborhoods, the psychological impact of discrimination and generational trauma has had severe, long-lasting consequences. In California, Sacramento's Del Paso Heights neighborhood is no stranger to systemic discrimination, chronic toxic stress, and their impacts. But how do systemic injustices and inequities impact the community? How can we create meaningful change? Neighborhood Wellness Foundation (NWF) is building from the "inside out and bottom up" what they seek for the community. Today, October 27th, from 10 AM – 1 PM in-person at 1333 Grand Avenue, Sacramento, Bldg. A-2 NWF and their clients, in partnership with the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA), will share the root challenges in Del Paso Heights and pathways to solutions with elected representatives, community leaders, and medical professionals. Our guests will include Sacramento City Councilmember Rick Jennings, II, Sacramento Police Department & District Attorney Representatives, Members of the Black Chamber of Commerce, leaders from the California Department of Education, and medical professionals from Sacramento County Public Health.
We will learn from those with lived experiences of gang violence and poverty as they present their solutions for the community. Listen and engage in roundtable discussions with multidisciplinary stakeholders and community leaders. We must use our collective platform to help steer the societal conversation in the direction of compassion, patience, tolerance, and selflessness.
"Changing the trajectory of gang life and violence is intentional and strategic hard work that begins with raising expectations and addressing the root causes. When we open our eyes to the fractured reality, we will understand that lifting Del Paso Heights is an effort of basic humanity and, in doing so, lifts the entire Sacramento Region," said Dr. Gina Warren, President & Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Wellness Foundation.
"To combat inequities and strengthen the health of our communities, we must engage in dialogue with policymakers, community leaders, medical professionals, and the public about supporting and keeping our communities safe," noted Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies. "We are honored to partner with the Neighborhood Wellness Foundation and their clients to uplift the needs of Del Paso Heights and black and brown communities across California."
Because how you see the community determines how you treat the community members.
Click here to view our program and learn more. COVID-19 protocols will be in place, including social distancing, mandatory masking regardless of vaccination status, and availability of COVID-19 testing. If you have any questions regarding the event or would like to attend, please do not hesitate to contact Sage Miller at smiller@cccbha.org or 206-890-1126.
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California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA) is a statewide association of non-profit agencies dedicated to providing mental health and substance use disorder programs and services to those in need across our state. We are dedicated to the proposition that the people of California deserve a rational and comprehensive community-based behavioral health system that is adequately funded to serve those in need. We are the voice of our agencies at the state Capitol, and with state agencies, and the federal government. Our goal is to ensure that federal, state, and county programs can support integrated healthcare services for people of all ages.
Neighborhood Wellness Foundation (NWF) was founded in 2015 with a mission to disrupt intergenerational trauma and poverty in Del Paso Heights (DPH) and surrounding neighborhoods. They do so by addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), chronic toxic stress, legacies of incarceration, low educational and economic attainment and building community capacity to thrive. The Neighborhood Wellness Foundation interdisciplinary team, from executive to grassroots, offers current and historical specialized insight and perspective in Del Paso Heights that spans 30-60 years.
