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Public event focuses on mental health and policing in Sacramento's Black communities

Sacramento Bee - 11/16/2021

Nov. 16—The conversation about behavioral health issues and law enforcement has become increasingly relevant in Sacramento's Black and African-American communities, as residents continue to show anger and frustration with violent and tragic encounters between law enforcement and Black people.

ONTRACK Program Resources will host a two-part virtual event series discussing new public initiatives in the city and county of Sacramento that can potentially address the crisis.

Session one is called, "The Call," and will begin on Wednesday from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. The session will feature community members who will share their experiences involving law enforcement and behavioral health.

Some of the panelists for session one include: Ryan McClinton, a community activist and Public Health Advocate; Donetta Jefferson, a community member with experiences in Sacramento County Jail; Tamara Lacey, a community member whose grandson is dealing with mental illness and incarceration; Stevante Clark, community activist; Keke Brown, ONTRACK Soul Space Empowerment Advocate; and Tifanei Ressl Moyer, co-founder of Decarcerate Sacramento.

Session two, "The Response", will be held on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. It will include a list of panelists representing the city and county. The new initiatives focusing on behavioral health and criminal justice will be explained. The objective is to ensure that Black communities are aware of these local initiatives and seek meaningful input.

Panelists for that session include officials from the city and county including the Sacramento mayor's office, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, the Sacramento Police Department, public defender's office, Behavioral Health Services and community activists.

Registration for session one is available here and session two available here.

This event is one of two annual events that ONTRACK intends to host. The next annual event will take place in 2022.

ONTRACK Program Resources has been a leader in the provision of training, consulting and technical assistance services aimed at reducing disparities, and improving services for diverse communities. Since 1997, they have established a reputation for providing organizations a wide range of expertise that is culturally responsive, universally applicable, and strength-based.

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