Your mental health is important. You are an important part of something bigger than yourself. The world needs YOU - your culture and your authentic self – exactly as you are. 

This month, Sonoma Connect | Sonoma Unidos, observes National Minority Mental Health Month. This observance raises awareness of the challenges that affect the mental health of racial and ethnic minority groups. This month, join us as we learn more about mental health and find ways to support Mental Health Equity.



"Mental Health Equity is removing the predictability of mental health and emotional well-being based on social background or factors."

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and immigrant and undocumented community members in Sonoma County persistently had a lower Human Development Index score than other populations, highlighting the role that the structural drivers play in overall health and human development. As described in the ARPA final rule,” the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted mental health and substance use. In January 2021, over 40 percent of American adults reported symptoms of depression or anxiety, up from 11 percent in the first half of 2019.” In Sonoma County, Sonoma Connect (SC|SU) partners such as Humanidad saw a 37% increase in the past year in individuals seeking mental health services who are not able to pay or pay very little. SC | SU Partners are reporting that cases are more severe requiring longer intervention and support.

According to a 2001 report by the Office of the Surgeon General, there is a striking disparity for minorities access to mental health services and underlying knowledge base. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), lists possible explanations as: lack of insurance, underinsurance, mental illness stigma (often greater among minority populations), lack of diversity among mental health care providers, lack of culturally responsive services, language barriers, and distrust in the health care system. 

How is Sonoma Connect | Sonoma Unidos working to increase mental health equity?  

• Amplifying an important shift we invite you to join us in making to embrace mental health services as support for healthy development rather than a way to address pathology.
• Recognize that culture, community, and connection are pillars that support and uplift BIPOC individuals in the face of oppression and systemic racism. 
• Working together with a coalition of Community Based Organizations and cross-sector partners to increase BIPOC access to healing centered resources.
• Increasing access to culturally responsive mental health direct services
• Individual counseling, Community Convivencias, Group Convivencias (Humanidad),
• In-home therapy and behavior support, group therapy (Child Parent Institute)
• Art and cultural events (Raizes Collective
• Farmworker clinics and wellness workshops (The Botanical Bus)
• Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) screenings (CAP)
• Culturally responsive stress-reduction education and referrals (La Luz)
• Client referrals to partner CBOs and health centers to provide wrap-around services (all partner organizations)
• Increasing screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in cross-sector settings and closed-loop referral technology.
• Support culturally responsive Community Health Worker/Promotorx (CHW/P) and Mental Health Professional workforce development, including the trainings and support led by Northern California Center for Wellbeing, Hanna Institute, Sonoma County Office of Education, Northern Sonoma County Healthcare Foundation, and more!
• Amplifying Health Action Together’s work on developing an Agenda for Action through a community engagement process that is designed to address the inequities illustrated by the Portrait of Sonoma 

Upcoming Action Team Meetings

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

Community Accountablitly Action Team 

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 from 3:00pm-4:30pm

Our co-chairs recently received training from Equity First Consulting to help them devise equity-driven goals for this team and will be reporting on their lessons learned and newly designed Action Team objectives. We’ll also be reporting back on our stipend process to ensure that we can incentivize continued community participation in Sonoma Connect’s work.

ACE Screening Implementation Action Team 

Thursday, July 16, 2023 from 2:00pm-3:00pm

Please note that this meeting is being held a week later than its regular time in accommodation for the July 4^th holiday. This month we will have guest speaker Rocio Monter, Community Based Service Manager at Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County, share how her organization has been able to incorporate ACE screening and healing-centered environments to reduce re-traumatization of program participants and secondary trauma for screeners. This is information that could be insightful for other Community Based Organizations considering incorporating ACE Screening in their organizations. 

Resource Connection Network Action Team  

Monday, July 31, 2023 from 1:00pm-3:00pm

Join us to participate in decision making regarding next steps in the implementation of the Resource Connection Network 

Our Action Team meetings offer simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. 



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



Community Events and Learning Opportunities

Back to School Community Resources

Redwood Gospel Mission City Kids North County

Child Parent Institute July Parenting Classes

The Child Parent Institute has a variety of free parenting classes in July and throughout the year.

Sonoma County Regional Parks Summer Activities for Families

Sonoma County Regional Parks has a variety of summer activities and educational programs for children and families.

Centering Anti-Racism in Trauma Informed Care



When: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 from 12:00-1:00pm

Where: Zoom

Join this webinar to learn examples and stories of concrete actions for centering anti-racism in healthcare transformation efforts.

Want to see your events featured?

Are you a community partner and would like to see your upcoming events featured in Sonoma Connect | Sonoma Unidos’s newsletter? Please contact Mariana Raschke mraschke@sonomaconnect.org.

We accept submissions until one week prior to the beginning of each month.

Learn more about National Minority Mental Health Month: 

• Ideas for how to support mental health equity as an individual, Public Health Organization, Health Educator, Healthcare System, County

• History behind the name Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Health Awareness Month 

• Resources and Communication toolkits 

Sonoma County Regional Parks Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan

Sonoma County Regional Parks is creating a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan (CARP) aimed at promoting a healthy environment and a vibrant, resilient parks system. This Plan will address hazards including extreme heat, drought, flooding and landslide risk, wildfires, and more, protecting the County’s natural resources and community assets from climate change impacts while reducing climate pollution.

Take a quick survey to help the County reduce climate pollution and address climate impacts and visit their website to learn more about ways to get involved with the design of the plan

• Advancing Racial Equity: Legal Guidance for Advocates

• Grant Opportunity by the Library of Congress: The Library of Congress seeks to award individuals with projects involving contemporary cultural documentation focusing on the culture and traditions of diverse, often underrepresented communities in the United States today.

We express our appreciation to our funders!

www.sonomaconnect.org

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