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Happy Pride Month to Our LGBTQ+ Community!

We acknowledge the importance of celebrating LGBTQ voices and recognize the need to address the disproportionate rates of discrimination and mental health issues faced by this community. Every day, children and youth are teased, harassed, and subjected to violence because someone thinks they are lesbian, gay or transgender.¹ LGBTQ youth who are rejected by their families have a higher risk of depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and attempted suicide than youth who are accepted or celebrated by their families.² Furthermore, LGBTQ people report higher rates of ACEs.³ 

The following are resources, tools, or directories designed to provide support to the LGBTQ community: 

• Positive Images
• Nami Sonoma County
• Somos Familia

Announcements

Starting in June, we will be merging the CA-AT and NRC Action Teams in order to unite efforts and address common goals! You decided that the best time to meet onward will be the second Wednesday of the month from 3:00pm- 4:30pm. 

Join us this month for our next meeting on June 8, 3:00pm – 4:30pm.

ARPA Partner Collaborative

We are happy to share our partner collaborative American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) application was approved by the Board of Supervisors to support Mental Health in our community!

Inequities and Social Determinants of Health were highlighted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and so was the need for mental health supports in our community. Mental Health is an incredibly important part of overall health and does not function apart from medical and social health. SC|SU partners are responding to this need by supporting whole human health that will increase access to culturally responsive mental health resources and the ability to share information to ensure the integrity of systems supports for those historically marginalized & experiencing the greatest negative impact to their health. 

These are 11 organizations joined our collaborative effort: 

Medi-Cal Coverage  

Since March 2020, all Medi-Cal renewals and most negative actions for beneficiaries have been delayed due to the Covid-19 public health emergency. The public health emergency will end on July 15, 2022 which could affect the following individuals: 

• As of May 2022, Sonoma County has over 100,000 residents that receive health coverage through Medi-Cal  
• Roughly 1 in 5 Sonoma County residents is receiving Medi-Cal 
• Many beneficiaries are at risk of losing their Medi-Cal due to loss of contact, or for not returning their redetermination paperwork 

What Can You Do?

Encourage Medi-Cal beneficiaries to respond to letters of request from the County asking for information on Medi-Cal coverage. Report any changes in their households and provide current contact information to the local county office

If you work with rural, hard-to-reach, populations on the margins, we know you are likely already engaging your client/patients on this. Please share how we can support and any related resources/information you would like Sonoma Connect | Sonoma Unidos partners to be aware of regarding how community members can get needed health coverage and services. 

Upcoming Action Team Meetings

This month, the Sonoma Connect | Sonoma Unidos Action Teams will be working on the agenda items below:

ACEs Clinical Action Team 

Thursday, June 2, 2022, 2:00pm-3:00pm 

Join us this meeting to discuss how CHWs are able to support ACEs screenings, as well as a presentation from Mishale Ballinger from SCOE on the results of survey assessing trauma-informed care and ACEs screening capacity in our local school districts. 

Community Accountability Action Team 

Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 3:00pm-4:30pm 

The Neighborhood Resource Centers Action Team is merging under the Community Accountability Action Team! Join us in our first meeting together to continue to build on our efforts to elevate CHW voices, increase cross-sector relationships, and be part of responsive community engagement. 

Resource Connection Network Action Team  

Monday, June 27, 2022, 1:00pm-2:30pm 

Join us to discuss our current progress with the implementation of the health and social integration platform! 

Our Action Team meetings offer simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. 



Join us in moving this important work forward by attending an upcoming meeting!



Learning Opportunities

Community Partner Connection – Let's Talk About Burnout

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 from 3:30pm-5:00pm

This training will be provided by Meghan Murphy, MSW

As in 2020, American workers across the board saw heightened rates of burnout in 2021, and according to America Psychological Association's 2021 Work and Well-being Survey of 1,501 U.S. adult workers, 79% of employees had experienced work-related stress in the month before the survey.

Contact Erika Klohe at erika.klohe@stjoe.org to register

Understanding and Disrupting White Supremacy in Mental Health

A Two-Part Virtual Course with Dr. Daniela Dominguez

Part I: Tuesday, June 21, 9am-11am and Part 2 Tuesday, June 28, 9am-11am. The cost to register is $150

Trainings for Self-advocates

This a series of on-line trainings for adult and youth self-advocates and their families. The trainings are by Wesley Witherspoon, the Consumer Advocate at the USC UCEDD at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and will be provided throughout the month of June

• Communication Tool Mental Health Resource Guide This guide spotlights resources for public health and health professionals, parents and caregivers, employers and employees, youth, and anyone who is looking for general mental health information and guidance on how to connect with a mental health professional.  

• The Listening Room A free peer-to-peer support group for health care professionals

• Sonoma County Housing Authority opens project-based voucher waitlists for units in Healdsburg and Petaluma

^{1. Studies documenting harassment and violence may be found at the website of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, a national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students.}

^{2. Ryan C, Huebner D, Diaz RM, Sanchez J, Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White & Latino Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Young Adults. PEDIATRICS Vol. 123, No. 1, January 2009, pp. 348-352.} 

^3. https://www.vumc.org/health-policy/LGBTQ-mental-health-adverse-childhood-experiences-research

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Your information will not be shared with anyone other than the Sonoma Connect/Sonoma Unidos team.