Dear MHAS Supporter,
I really truly hope this email finds you and your family well. I write this looking out from my home office at a smoke-filled orange sky with my six-year-old Zooming into his first grade classroom next to me. The challenges we are facing individually and collectively right now are significant. And so I continue to, first and foremost, gently remind you to please take care of yourself and your mental health right now, whatever that means for you!
In our below newsletter, you will meet our three newest staff members - Deepika, Kate, and Marissa. To say that the addition of these three women has strengthened the MHAS team would be a vast under-statement. They have renewed us with their passionate dedication and they have raised the level of service we are able to provide to our clients. I am extremely grateful that each of them decided to join the MHAS team and can't wait for you all to meet them soon!
Continue reading to learn more about how we are helping to get folks into permanent housing, who our new team members are, and how you can register for our upcoming event. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
|
Jenny Farrell
Executive Director
|
|
Getting Corey Into Permanent Housing |
|
Corey is one of the estimated 66,000 unhoused people who were residing in L.A. County at the beginning of the year. For more than two years, Corey lived in short-term housing where he lacked access to a kitchen and private bathroom. Worried that his communal living situation would increase his risk for COVID-19, Corey requested to move into a permanent housing unit.
|
|
Corey's request, however, was denied when the building owner determined that his voucher was not valid for permanent housing.
Because people often need to untangle multiple layers of bureaucracy just to figure out who they need to contact for answers, Corey decided to reach out to MHAS to understand and challenge his denial.
|
|
|
Through a two-month-long process that required almost daily phone calls and emails, his MHAS attorney verified that Corey's housing voucher was in fact valid for permanent housing. After notifying the building owner of his error, Corey's attorney continued to advocate for him until he was allowed to move in.
Today, Corey is glad to finally have his own place so that he can properly practice social distancing as recommended by health experts. With stable housing, Corey is now also now able to focus on finding employment.
|
|
Meet Our Newest Team Members |
|
|
|
DEEPIKA SHARMA, Director of Legal Services
As MHAS' new Director of Legal Services, Deepika oversees all of MHAS' provision of legal services to children and adults with mental health disabilities including via MHAS' Homelessness Prevention Project, MHAS' Fair Housing Project, MHAS' Consumer Finance Project, MHAS' Reentry Project, and MHAS' participation in the LA County Whole Person Care Medical-Legal Partnership.
Before joining MHAS, Deepika served as an Investigator at the University of California, Los
|
|
Angeles (UCLA) where she investigated complaints of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and sexual violence in compliance with University policies as well as applicable State and Federal laws.
Prior to her time at UCLA, Deepika spent six years at Public Counsel as a Senior Attorney in the Homelessness Prevention Law Project where she developed their dedicated affirmative housing litigation unit.
Fun fact: "When I was a child, I wanted to be an actress. I had an agent and had the opportunity to be on an episode of Punky Brewster and a made for TV movie called Fantasy Island with Gary Coleman and Jason Bateman."
|
|
|
|
KATE BRIDAL, Homelessness Prevention Staff Attorney
What's something new you've learned so far?
Since starting at MHAS, I've learned it's possible to get to know and feel supported by your coworkers, even when you've never met them.
How did you first hear about MHAS?
Due to existential panic during COVID, I did a job search on Google not expecting to find something I actually wanted to do, and lo and behold! There was MHAS!
|
|
Fun Fact: I spent three years speaking sign language to chimpanzees in undergrad.
|
|
|
|
MARISSA MOWERY, Consumer Finance Staff Attorney
What's something new you've learned so far?
Since starting at MHAS, I’ve learned about many of the pretty bold scams people are trying to pull on unsuspecting or desperate folks during the pandemic. It’s so important for people to be really careful with their information and to be suspicious of miracle cures and opportunities.
How did you first hear about MHAS?
I had been working in the legal aid sector in Los Angeles for a couple years and had heard about
|
|
MHAS from colleagues and been intrigued by their mission. When I saw that MHAS had an opening for a Consumer Finance Staff Attorney, it spoke to multiple personal and professional interests of mine and I knew I had to apply!
Fun Fact: Immediately prior to moving to L.A., I lived in Pennsylvania on a chicken and pig farm.
|
|
2020 VIRTUAL ANNUAL CELEBRATION
OCTOBER 21, 2020
6:00-7:00 PM
Link TBA
═════════ ♦ ══════════
HONOREES
ESMÉ WEIJUN WANG
Award-Winning Author of The Collected Schizophrenias
ADVOCATES AWARD
PATRICK KENNEDY
Former Congressman & Mental Health Advocate
JIM PREIS MEMORIAL AWARD
═════════ ♦ ══════════
SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY
ERIC GARCETTI
L..A. City Mayor
EMILY V. GORDON
Writer, Producer & Former Therapist
|
|
You won't want to miss this LIVE virtual event so get your tickets now!
All ticket-holders will also receive a Party Box personally delivered to their home in the week ahead of the event. Come celebrate with us!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
