* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Raul Alvarez Community Advancement Network Vanessa Fuentes Council Member – District 2 Andy Brown Travis County Judge Jose Velasquez Council Member – District 3 Deborah Smith Advocate] [00:00:03] I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR JOINING. HEY, I DON'T LIKE THE STAND. TAKE THE STAND. I'M LIKE, I, I DIDN'T DO NOTHING. JUDGE . WHAT DO YOU WANT ME? YOU SAID YOU CAN TAKE THE STAND, BRO. I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA TAKE THOSE. IS THIS ON? I THINK IT IS. IT'S WEIRD CAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND ON, BUT I THINK, YEAH. YEAH. IT PICKS UP ON AXN. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE BROADCASTING. YEAH. SO, OR MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA KEEP IT ON THE CITY SEAL. THEY SEND SENT, UH, I ANOTHER CONTACT OFFICER COMING SO Y'ALL CAN CONTACT HIM DIRECTLY CUZ HE ASKED HIM ANOTHER EVENT. AND I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT UP TO HAVE Y'ALL GO FIRST THAT WAY. THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE A LITTLE TALLER AND STUNT. IT'S ALL GOOD. GOOD MORNING. YOU WANNA TEST THE SOUND? IS, DOES IT SOUND GOOD? ALL, ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WE'RE ABOUT TO GET STARTED. WELCOME EVERYONE. UM, MY NAME'S RAUL ALVAREZ. UH, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CANNES. AND VERY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING TO MAKE THIS, UH, EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT. AND, UM, WE'LL HEAR FROM A FEW OF OUR, UH, GREAT, UH, CAN MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS AND JUST, UH, UM, JUST VERY EXCITED TO, UH, OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THIS EFFORT, UH, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UH, TO ADDRESS A VERY IMPORTANT CHALLENGE IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, WE ARE HERE TO ANNOUNCE A TRAINING INITIATIVE, UH, BEING LAUNCHED BY CAN, UH, GIVEN THE GRADE NEED THAT THERE IS, UM, IN, UH, THE AREA OF MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS ALMOST EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATOR. UH, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE A HANDOUT HERE THAT HAS SOME OF THAT DATA. I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO IT AND, AND DO A, A, A SLIDES, UH, SLIDESHOW OR PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET THAT AT THE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, UH, IN A FEW MINUTES. UM, BUT HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH ANYONE WHO WANTS THAT, UH, DATA. BUT IT BASICALLY SHOWS, UM, WHERE IN WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS HAVE WE SEEN THE GREATEST INCREASES? AND THERE'S AN INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, AND ALMOST EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP IN THE LAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS. UM, AND THE, THE PEOPLE REPORTING POOR MENTAL HEALTH HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER SINCE WE STARTED PUBLISHING THE CANN DASHBOARD MORE THAN 12 YEARS AGO. UM, AND AGAIN, WE COULD DO A MORE IN DEPTH OR, OR LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS, BUT, UH, I THINK IT REALLY SHOWS TO THE, TO THE POINT, UM, OF HAVING TO FOCUS ON THIS ISSUE AND BE, UH, VERY, UH, INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE, HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. UM, GIVEN THE CHALLENGE WITH WHICH WE'RE CONFRONTED HAS BECOME CRITICAL FOR US AS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO, TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEED. NOW CAN IS A NETWORK OF 25 GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WHO SEEK TO ALIGN EFFORTS AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES TO COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE OUR, OUR SOCIAL HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND ALTHOUGH KIND OF TAKING ON, UH, AN ISSUE LIKE THIS IS A DAUNTING TASK, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT LET THE EXTENT OF THE CHALLENGE SORT OF PARALYZE US. YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE BEGIN? RIGHT? YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE IMPORTANT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TAKE THAT FIRST STEP. UH, AND AGAIN, WE EACH AS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS MUST DO OUR PART TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. UM, FOR THIS REASON, THE MENTAL HEALTH REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE CANNES COMMUNITY COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, PROBABLY FRIDAY, UM, IS CALLED EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE, RIGHT? UM, CUZ WE DON'T SAY THAT, UM, EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE JUST AS AN INSPIRING SOUND BITE, RIGHT? OR A QUOTE, RIGHT? WE SAY IT BECAUSE, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON THIS ISSUE, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. UM, AND SO EXCITED TO SEE, AGAIN, FOLKS WHO ARE AT THE TABLE HERE, UH, TO HELP US MOVE, UM, MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE AND TO TALK MORE, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT CAN, AS A NETWORK, UH, [00:05:01] IS COMMITTING TO DO, AND ALSO JUST ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN IN GENERAL. I NOW INTRODUCE, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES. THANK YOU. WELCOME TO Y ALL, AND WELCOME COUNCIL MAYOR. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VANESSA FUENTES AND I'M PROUD TO SERVE AS CITY COUNCILWOMAN REPRESENTING SOUTHEAST AUSTIN ON CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU, RAUL, FOR SETTING THE STAGE FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION. I FIRST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY, OR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. AND AS CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND AS CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK, I'M EXCITED TO JOIN OUR TRAVIS COUNTY PARTNERS INTEGRAL CARE MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR CANNED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO LAUNCH THIS COMMUNITY-WIDE INITIATIVE. TO TRAIN 1000 AUSTINITES WITH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE THAT GIVES PEOPLE THE TOOLS NEEDED TO IDENTIFY, TO UNDERSTAND AND HOW TO RESPOND TO SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. THE REALITY IS, IS THAT ONE IN FIVE ADULTS EXPERIENCE MENTAL ILLNESS AT SU IN, IN THE UNITED STATES. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ONE IN FIVE. AMERICANS GRAPPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE, EITHER A LOVED ONE, A FRIEND, OR SOMEONE WE WORK WITH THAT IS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. AND THESE LAST FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PANDEMIC, IT REALLY HAS MAGNIFIED OUR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING A SAFER, MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS ONE WAY, A PROVEN WAY THAT IS SHOWN TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY, DECREASE NEGATIVE STIGMAS, AND INCREASE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS TOWARDS PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. BUT FOR A SECOND, I WANNA FOCUS ON THE DESTIGMATIZATION OF MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING, NOT ONLY HERE IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT ACROSS THE WORLD, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. AND ESPECIALLY I CAN SPEAK FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS MAY BE PERCEIVED AS WEAK, LAZY, OR SOMETIMES EVEN DANGEROUS. AND THAT STIGMA, THOSE CONNOTATIONS, SERVE AS BARRIERS TO PEOPLE SEEKING TREATMENT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT REDUCING THE STIGMA, INCREASING ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SKILLS NEEDED, AND CREATING A MORE EMPATHETIC AUSTIN. AND THIS FIRST AID HAS THE ABILITY TO BREAK DOWN THAT STIGMA. AND AGAIN, THIS EFFORT IS ABOUT THAT COLLABORATIVE CARE. IT'S ABOUT NEIGHBORS BEING NEIGHBORS, AND UNDERSTANDING HOW TO WE CAN RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND HOW TO RESPOND. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY, UM, WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS TO LAUNCH THIS INITIATIVE, ESPECIALLY AS WE ARE RECOGNIZING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP FOR A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING. I'M EXCITED TO GET CERTIFIED AND WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PARTICIPANTS AT ONE OF THE COMMUNITY TRAININGS. SO, WITH THAT, DO YOU INTRODUCE THE NEXT ONE? MM-HMM. ? YES. UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER FLIN DOES, DOES SERVE AS THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF, OF CAN. AND, UH, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT FROM THE CAN, UH, MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND CAN PARTNERS. UH, THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND INTEGRAL CARE THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE ARE ALL FOUNDING PARTNERS OF CANNES, LIKE, UH, CLOSE TO 30 YEARS AGO. UH, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR, UH, CONTINUED SUPPORT. UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FROM THE COUNTY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOWN, UH, JUDGE BROWN FOR A LONG TIME. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE, UH, WHEN HE TOOK THE REINS OF COUNTY JUDGE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF COVID. SO, YOU KNOW, HE, UH, WAS IN, IN HIGH DEMAND AND WE SAW HIM EVERYWHERE, UH, VIRTUALLY, OF COURSE ON ZOOM MOST OF THE TIME. UH, BUT HE HASN'T SLOWED DOWN, RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, ADDRESSING CRITICAL NEEDS AND EMERGENCIES, WE SEE HIM THERE. UM, AND, UH, THIS IS, UH, AN EMERGENCY. OUR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IS AN EMERGENCY, AND WE REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, AGAIN, HIS PRESENCE HERE TO, TO SUPPORT THE EFFORT AND ALSO THE, THE SUPPORT OF TRAVIS COUNTY. SO JUDGE BROWN, WELCOME. THANKS. THANKS, ROB. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. SO EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS EFFORT AND BE, UH, UH, WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ AND RAUL AND THE CAN NETWORK AND, AND MY DE DESIGNEE TO THE CAN BOARD, UH, PILAR SANCHEZ. UH, SO LET ME, I JUST WANNA FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE EFFECTS THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS HAVING AT, AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT INCREASING. WE ACTUALLY VOTED TO INCREASE THE SALARIES OF PEOPLE WORKING IN CORRECTIONS IN THE COUNTY JAIL. AND THAT IS A VERY, VERY HARD JOB. IT'S VERY DEMANDING AND, AND WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO IT. WE'RE, WE'RE DOWN PEOPLE THERE, SO WE RAISE THEIR SALARIES SIGNIFICANTLY. A LOT [00:10:01] OF THAT IS BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY JAIL THAT SHOULD NOT BE THERE. PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, THAT BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT NEED, THEY'RE ENDING UP IN THE JAIL, WHICH IS NOW, IN EFFECT, THE LARGEST MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN THE COUNTY. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO BE THAT WAY. UM, SO I'M SO EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND WITH CANNES ON THE, THIS EFFORT TO TRAIN MORE PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, HOW TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE IN THEIR FAMILIES, LOVED ONES, WORK, WORK, UH, COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROGRAM. AND IF WE DON'T DO MORE OF THIS, IF WE DON'T FOCUS RESOURCES ON THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE JAIL, LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON AND OTHERS, UH, OTHER EFFORTS TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF THE JAIL, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A HUGE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS BECAUSE IF THAT GROWTH CONTINUES, WE SAW PRE COVID PEOPLE IN THE JAIL RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY, UH, WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO THE JAIL, ABOUT 20% OF THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED SAID THEY HAD AN UNMET MENTAL HEALTH NEED. TODAY THAT IS OVER 40%. SO JUST BY THAT SAME SURVEY, THE AMOUNT OF MENTAL HEALTH NEED THAT IS UNMET IN THE JAIL HAS DOUBLED. IT'S GONNA KEEP GOING THAT WAY UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND SO, I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND VELASQUEZ AND EVERYBODY ELSE HERE AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO ESTABLISH A MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER AND MAKE OTHER ROBUST EFFORTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THE UNMET MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND TRAINING A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WATCHING THIS DECIDES TO, TO SIGN UP FOR ONE OF THESE TRAININGS TO BECOME A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID RESPONDER. IS THAT THE CORRECT TERM? SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEAH, I LIKE IT. I LIKE IT. ALL RIGHT. UH, BECAUSE WE NEED EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM. IT'S A CRISIS, AND THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND, UH, YOU GOT IT. OKAY. YEP. THANK YOU, JUDGE. AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA RUN WITH THAT TERM BECAUSE, UH, THAT IS, UH, TO, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE WHAT, WHAT MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID IS ABOUT, IS HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF SOMEONE WHO NEEDS SUPPORT, AND THEN HOW TO, HOW TO, UH, APPROACH A SITUATION APPROPRIATELY. UM, AND I DO WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, ON THE FLYER, UM, THERE'S FLYERS IN THE PACKET, RIGHT, THAT HAVE, UM, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SORT OF CAN SPONSORED TRAININGS, WHICH ARE FOR THE CAN MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND THEN ALSO COMMUNITY TRAININGS THAT ARE FREE, THAT ARE SPONSORED BY INTEGRAL CARE OR OFFERED BY INTEGRAL CARE. SO YOU CAN FIND THAT IN YOUR PACKET. AND, UM, I DID, UH, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T, UH, I FORGOT TO MENTION RIGHT, THAT, UH, OUR VICE CHAIR IS ALSO HERE FROM THE CAN BOARD IS, UH, LIZ JOHNSON FROM ST. EDWARDS UNIVERSITY. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE'S BEEN A REP FOR ST. EDWARDS, UH, SINCE I TOOK ON, UM, THE ROLES AND, UM, AND JUST EXCITED TO HAVE HER HERE AND SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT. AND WITH THAT, I'LL, UH, I'LL INTRODUCE, UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, WHICH IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELAZQUEZ, WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG, LONG TIME, PROBABLY UPWARDS OF 20 YEARS. AND, UM, JUST SEEN HIM, UM, JUST BE ACTIVE ON, ON, IN, ON THE EAST SIDE AND IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND ANYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S PRESSING AND IMPORTANT. AND, UM, AND JUST, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, VERY EXCITED THAT HE'S KIND OF TAKEN ON THIS NEW ROLE AND JUST, UH, EXCITED TO WORK WITH HIM, UM, ON THIS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID INITIATIVE AND SORT OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE, BUT ALSO FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, UH, SPECIFICALLY. SO, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER. APPRECIATE IT. WELCOME EVERYBODY. UH, HAPPY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. THANK YOU TO RAUL AND CAN FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE A GROUP LIKE CAN, THAT DOESN'T JUST TRACK DATA ON IMPORTANT INDICATORS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO SETS, UM, AND DEVELOPS PLANS, UH, AND ACTION AGENDAS. MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT A TERM A LOT OF US GREW UP WITH. SOCIETY'S CONDITION US TO BELIEVE THAT ASKING FOR HELP IS TANTAMOUNT TO WEAKNESS. MANY OF US HAVE NOT LEARNED WHAT TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO D TO ADDRESS THE MYRIAD ISSUES WE FACE EVERY DAY. WE'VE BUILT A WALL BETWEEN US AND MENTAL, MENTAL WELLNESS, STACKED WITH BRICKS OF STIGMA, MISGUIDED UNDERSTANDINGS OF MASCULINITY CULTURE, AND A LACK OF COMMUNICATION. TODAY, I, I SPEAK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, OF A LATINO WHO HAS SEEN THE WEIGHT OF THIS STIGMA BEAR DOWN TOO MANY TIMES ON INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY. MEN ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE. IT IS A SEVENTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG MA AMONGST MALES. OUR COMMUNITY FACES MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES EVERY DAY WITHOUT THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT. THIS IS WHY ALL OF US ARE HERE TODAY. WE KNOW THAT THE M H F A IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. [00:15:01] BY PROVIDING THIS RESOURCE AND CERTIFICATION CAN, IS GOING TO IMPACT MANY LIVES. AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS IMPORTANT WORK. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FROM THE BOTTOM OF, OF MY HEART FOR THEIR ADVOCACY, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSE OF SO MANY OF THE ISSUES OUR CITY FACES. LET'S GET TO HEALING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UM, AND I WILL NOTE, UM, ONE OF THE PROJECTS KEN IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED WITH IS, UH, A LANGUAGE ACCESS PROJECT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING TOOLKITS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, UH, TO SHARE THE GREAT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE KIND OF IN ENGLISH, BUT ALSO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. NOT TO HELP WITH THE, UM, INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEXT SPEAKER. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA CALL, UH, OUR BOARD MEMBER, DAVID SMITH, TO, TO HELP WITH THAT INTRODUCTION. WELCOME NEXT TIME. GOOD MORNING, DAVID EVANS. AND, UH, I'M THANKFUL TO BE HERE TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND OUR COUNTY JUDGE, AND BEING REALLY CLEAR THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS ESSENTIAL TO NOT ONLY OUR OVERALL HEALTH, BUT THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE DEBORAH SMITH. UH, SHE SERVES AS A COUNTY APPOINTEE ONTO THE INTERNAL CARE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SHE'S BEEN REALLY CLEAR THAT SHE BRINGS AN AUTHENTIC VOICE, ONE OF LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND NOW SERVES AS AN OFFICER AND A LEADER ON THE BOARD. DEBORAH SMITH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND GOOD MORNING. SO E EVERY GARDENER KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU SOW A SEED IN THE GROUND, IF PLANTED IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT, GOOD SOIL, IT WILL COME UP BIGGER AND BETTER THAN WHEN IT WENT INTO THE GROUND. AND SO I WAS THINKING LONG AND HARD FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS OF A PLEDGE. LIKE, WHAT, WHAT AM I GONNA PLEDGE THIS MORNING? AND THE NUMBER CAME TO ME THIS MORNING AND IT WAS 2,500 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS CERTIFIED. 2,500 REPRESENTS THE FIVE LOAVES AND THE TWO FISHES. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM, BUT I SERVE A SUPERNATURAL GOD AND I BELIEVE HE WILL SHOW UP AND HE WILL MULTIPLY 2,500 CERTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS. THIS IS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID CAMPAIGN. THIS IS AN EVERY PERSON EMPOWERED CAMPAIGN. AND I DON'T HAVE LONG, BUT I WILL SHARE MY STORY BRIEFLY. BUT IN 2009, MYSELF AND MY 19 YEAR OLD AND MY, UM, 16 YEAR OLD WHO WERE FIVE AND THREE AT THE TIME, MOVED INTO A HOMELESS SHELTER. I WAS BROKEN, DEPRESSED, AND IN SURVIVAL MODE. NOW, FAST FORWARD INTO 2015, I HAD NOW HALF THE HOUSE, THE HUSBAND AND I HAD JUST GIVEN BIRTH TO MY NOW SEVEN YEAR OLD, BUT I ALSO HAD POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND I WAS BROKEN AND I WAS STILL IN SURVIVAL MODE. MY CIRCUMSTANCES HAS CHANGED, BUT MY ENVIRONMENT, MY MINDSET, MY CORE VALUE SYSTEM DID NOT, AND THIS IS WHY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING IS SO CRITICAL BECAUSE I COULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS I HAD, LET ALONE MY HOUSEHOLD, MY KIDS, MY FAMILY MEMBERS, MY PEERS, MY COLLEAGUES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO ECHO THIS, UH, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FRANCE SAYS ONE IN FIVE, IF WE JUST LOOK AROUND THE ROOM RIGHT NOW AND JUST UNDERSTAND THAT ONE IN FIVE OF US IS SUFFERING FROM A DIAGNOSABLE MENTAL CONDITION, ONE IN FIVE OF US. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE COURSE TO TAKE IT AND TO NOT ONLY TAKE IT, BUT TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT WRAPPED UP IN A PRETTY RED TAPE AND BUREAUCRACY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MADE ACCESSIBLE TO NOT JUST ADMINISTRATIONS, TO CLINICIANS, PHYSICIANS, BUT THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE SERVE. I MEAN, THAT MEANS INMATES IN THE JAIL SYSTEM. THAT MEANS, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR CHURCHES. THAT MEANS WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE SHELTERS BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE MAY NOT TALK TO A COUNCIL, A COUNSELOR AT THE SCHOOL. THEY MAY NOT HAVE A THERAPIST THEY SEE ON A WEEKLY BASIS, BUT THEY'LL GO AND TALK TO THE HAIRDRESSER AND THE BARBER, THEY'LL TALK TO THE NEIGHBOR, THE STRANGER IN THE GROCERY STORE. WE'RE SENDING THEM BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S WHY I SAY THIS IS AN EVERY PERSON EMPOWERED CAMPAIGN. SO I ALSO WANNA LEAVE IN JUST CHALLENGING THAT THINKING CUZ I'M A GARDENER. SO ANY OTHER GARDENERS IN HERE, JUST WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEONE SAY, I DON'T HAVE A GREEN THUMB, ANYTHING I GET DIES, CHALLENGE THE THOUGHT AND QUIT LOOKING AT THE GARDENER AND START QUESTIONING THE ENVIRONMENT, THE SOIL IN WHICH WE'RE PLANTING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, DEBORAH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY, AND THANK YOU DAVID EVANS FOR, UH, FOR THE, THE INTRODUCTION. AND, UM, UM, JUST, UH, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR A Q AND A. UM, AND WE'LL JUST TAKE, UM, [00:20:01] QUESTIONS. IF ANYBODY WANTS TO RA RAISE THEIR HAND AND POSE THE QUESTION. YES. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TIMELINE ON THAT, BUT, UH, I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH, UH, WITH THIS CAMPAIGN IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 25 CAN PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND CHALLENGING THEM TO TRAIN AS MANY OF, UH, THEIR EMPLOYEES AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOOD FOR THE WORKPLACE, RIGHT? HAVING A SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACE, BUT IT'S ALSO GOOD SINCE THESE, UM, THERE'S SO MANY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE ENTITIES LIKE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, RIGHT? TO HAVE PERSONNEL THAT'S TRAINED IN THIS, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK FIRST, FIRST RESPONDERS IS, IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT, UH, I DUNNO THAT WE HAVE A ROADMAP YET, BUT THIS IS, UH, KIND OF CHALLENGING EACH OF OUR PARTNERS TO DEVELOP THAT ROADMAP SO THAT WE CAN, UM, JUST GET, GET THAT TRAINING TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. GOOD MORNING, I AM STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. UM, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 700 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, TRAINED IN MENTAL HEALTH 1 0 1. UM, AND SO WE WERE VERY EXCITED, UM, IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, TO LEARN OF THIS INITIATIVE THROUGH CAN AND TO SUPPORT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FUENTEZ AND VAL, THE LAST QUIZZ. AND SO WE DO HAVE FOLKS IN EMS, UM, THAT ARE, UM, THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TRAINING AND WE DO HAVE SOME FROM AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. YES. FOR, FOR SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, THIS IS AN ONGOING RIGHT. EFFORT IS, BUT, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING THEM THAT TO STEP IT UP, RIGHT? GIVEN AGAIN, WHAT WE SEE IN THE DATA, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS ABOUT, IS RECOGNIZING THE DATA SHOWS THAT IT'S SHINING BRIGHT RED WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND, UH, IT REQUIRES KIND OF AN ALL, ALL HANDS ON DECK. AND, UH, AND I REALLY THINK THIS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING IS ONE WHERE YOU CAN TARGET IT TO THOSE POPULATIONS THAT HAVE THE GREATEST NEEDS. YOU KNOW, THE DATA'S USUALLY POINTING THE WAY IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE, BUT CAN WE USE THESE TOOLS AS A WAY OF HELPING TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT MOST NEED THE HELP? SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR INVOLVED? WELL, WE'RE AT, AGAIN, THERE'S KIND OF A TWO-PRONG APPROACH TO THE CAMPAIGN. WE HAVE THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE, THE CAN CHALLENGE, WHICH IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID A THOUSAND, HOW DO WE GET A THOUSAND FOLKS TRAINED AND REALLY CHALLENGING OUR PARTNERS RIGHT? TO, TO REACH THAT NUMBER. AND THEN THERE'S, UH, AGAIN, UM, THE, THE FREE TRAININGS THAT ARE ALREADY PROVIDED RIGHT? BY INTEGRAL CARE AND OTHER, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, ORGANIZATIONS. UM, SO PART OF IT IS, IS LETTING KNOW, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE, RIGHT? AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE, IT'S JUST HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE, UH, WE ADVERTISE IT IN A WAY THAT WE MAXIMIZE EVERY SINGLE SLOT, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IF EVERY TRAINING HAS 25 SLOTS, THEN HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THERE ISN'T AN EMPTY SLOT IN ANY OF THOSE TRAININGS? SO, UM, SO THERE IS A WAY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET INVOLVED, UM, AS WE MOVE FROM SORT OF A CAN CAMPAIGN, RIGHT? TO A COMMUNITY-WIDE CAMPAIGN THAT HOPEFULLY WILL ANNOUNCE AFTER THIS CAMPAIGN ENDS. AND WE'RE GONNA WANNA HAVE COMMUNITY AT THE TABLE TO HELP MOVE THAT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, MUCH, A MUCH MORE AMBITIOUS GOAL THAN A THOUSAND. BUT WHAT IS THAT NUMBER AND WHAT HELP DO WE NEED RIGHT? TO, TO ACHIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT GOALS. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. WANNA MENTION THAT? YES, GO AHEAD. I HAVE A THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. WE ARE GONNA HAVE A COMMITTEE BRIEFING HERE SHORTLY, STARTING AT 10 O'CLOCK. OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE WILL CONVENE. WE'RE GONNA LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER THAT THE, THE COUNTY IS LEADING. AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE, UH, WITH AN UPDATE FROM OUR CITY STAFF ON WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL BE DOING ON THE POSTERS. WE DO HAVE, UH, A QR CODE THAT LINKS TO THE WEBPAGE THAT HAS THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE COMMUNITY TRAININGS. UM, THERE'S FOUR THAT ARE SCHEDULED AND THERE'S, YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION VIA THAT LINK. THANK YOU AUSTIN MUCH. ALL RIGHT, THANKS, UH, TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS AND, AND OUR CAN MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL AS YOU FOR ATTENDING, UH, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ONE-ON-ONE, BUT, UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR INTEREST AND YOUR SUPPORT. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.