February 2021 Newsletter

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Dear MHAS Supporter,

I'd like to start off this newsletter by acknowledging and celebrating Black History Month as a central piece of our country's history.

Our mission here at MHAS is to protect and advance the legal rights of children and adults with mental health disabilities. We cannot faithfully execute our work without critically thinking about and challenging the ways in which structural racism affects our clients' everyday lives.

In L.A. County, our service area, Black people make up 8% of the population, but comprise:

We also cannot discuss mental health, race, and incarceration as stand-alone issues when we know that the largest mental health facility in L.A. County (and possibly the entire country) is a jail.

These conversations are uncomfortable, but necessary to ensure that everyone is safe, protected, and included. As a country, we can and should do better.

Sincerely,

Jenny Farrell

Executive Director

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Client in Temporary Housing

When the Stay at Home Order was announced, Bruce* was living out of his car.

But—as an elderly man who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and whose physical health issues increased his risk for severe COVID-19 complications—Bruce was anxious about his potential exposure to the virus due to his unstable housing situation.

Bruce turned to MHAS for support and an advocate soon secured housing for him via Project Roomkey, a program that provides unhoused folks with safe shelter to properly self-isolate.

When his housing unit began requiring staff-administered COVID-19 tests to remain in the program, however, Bruce once again became fearful that the additional contact with staff would increase his exposure to the virus.

MHAS successfully petitioned for a reasonable accommodation that would allow Bruce to self-administer the test. This allowed the housing unit to continue testing to ensure the safety of all of its residents in a way that didn't accidentally result in serious health complications for Bruce. For the first time since the pandemic began, Bruce feels safe and hopes to obtain long-term housing when it is safe.

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*Name changed to protect client's privacy.

Meet the Team: Courtney Mendoza

What do you do at MHAS?

I am an Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellow at MHAS working in a medical-legal partnership program for low-income women experiencing mental health disabilities during pregnancy, motherhood, and now a pandemic.

The program provides direct legal services, know-your-rights trainings, and policy advocacy to foster health, housing, and family stability. I chose MHAS for my EJW fellowship because empowering people with mental health disabilities has always been my passion, and it aligns perfectly with MHAS' mission.

What is something you wish more people knew about MHAS?

Not only do we address our clients' legal issues, but we also help them learn skills to be able to advocate for themselves in the future.

Tell us about something new you've learned since working with MHAS.

MHAS' staff has so much expertise in different areas of law, so I've learned about all the ongoing COVID-19 changes to public benefits and housing programs.

Favorite Quarantine Activity?

During quarantine, I've learned how to crochet: My next goal is to crochet myself an entire sweater. I've also perfected my tiramisu recipe that I hope to make for MHAS once we can all meet in person again!

Recent Announcement from the Department of Housing and Urban Development

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Every person should be able to secure a roof over their head free from discrimination, and the action we are taking today will move us closer to that goal," said Acting Assistant Secretary of FHEO, Jeanine M. Worden.

People who identify as LGBTQ who believe they have experienced housing discrimination can file a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.