Henry Davis Jr.
The town’s choice to allocate about $2.5 million to fund a psychological well being disaster middle for the primary 12 months of its operation is a testomony to the efforts of a broad-based coalition of group companions to advocate for humane and compassionate remedy for the susceptible members of our group. It’s due to our calls for that the administration’s budgetary expenditures lastly match their rhetoric about concern for these scuffling with psychological sickness.
As I’ve acknowledged on quite a few events, asking police to reply to conditions the place people who find themselves experiencing psychological well being crises and utilizing the St. Joseph County Jail as remedy middle are unsustainable, inhumane. All too typically, this results in tragic conditions just like the one which transpired over the summer time when Dante Kittrell, a person struggling a psychological well being disaster, died on account of a police-involved taking pictures.
By funding the middle with its allocation of federal pandemic aid {dollars}, the town took motion that was nicely inside its authorized and budgetary authority to take. Nevertheless, it needs to be famous that the psychological well being disaster extends past the town limits of South Bend. It’s a countywide challenge that may require sources from all governmental companies in St. Joseph County. The St. Joseph County Fee, St. Joseph County Council and the town of Mishawaka ought to work with the town of South Bend to make sure everlasting funding for the psychological well being middle.
Psychological well being:Viewpoint: Deliberate disaster middle important to group
Lastly, I’d hope that the town would take the extra step of totally fund a cell psychological well being disaster cell response crew established throughout the South Bend Hearth Division. That is good observe as a result of it supplies take care of these present process a psychological well being disaster whereas eradicating police from an encounter that aren’t adequately educated to deal with. A number of communities have entered preparations with their fireplace departments to reply to psychological well being crises, together with Madison, Wisconsin, San Francisco, California, Eugene, Oregon, Anchorage, Alaska, and Chandler, Arizona.
Henry Davis Jr. represents the 2nd District on the South Bend Frequent Council.
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