More than 200 community members joined elected officials, mental health advocacy organizations, and SEIU Local 1021 members at a forum last night to discuss the future of community mental health services in Sonoma County, CA. The forum comes just weeks before California residents will vote on a May 19 ballot measure that, if passed, would strip hundreds of millions in funding from mental health services across the state.
If passed, Prop. 1E will raid Prop. 63 funding guarantees for mental health services to the tune of $460 million over two years. "We're working bare-bones as it is," said Local 1021 member Diane Murphy, who is a client support assistant for Sonoma County Mental Health. "We're not replacing staff who have retired or left. The workload has just doubled. So a unified voice is really, really needed right now to stand up for mental health services and the mentally ill." (More facts on Prop. 1E here)
Help build support for mental health services and preserve funding and hope for people struggling with mental illness by signing the online petition now:
