Provide Input on City of Berkeley Mental Health Needs (2020)

What are the most important unmet mental health needs the City of Berkeley should consider when making funding decisions for the next three years?

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17 registered responses

Name not available inside District 3

May 5, 2020, 9:44 AM

What are the most pressing unmet mental health needs in the City of Berkeley?

People experiencing homelessness and severe mental health symptoms are the largest issues.
What are your ideas on the best ways to address these needs?

John George feels like an inappropriate response for many people. A lot of people are exited too soon from holds and come back in worse shape than when they went in. We should consult with Kerry Morrison and utilize methods from the Trieste Model http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dmh/1054552_TriesteConceptPaper-4-18-2019FINAL.pdf.

- There should be more public awareness around mental health (especially this month since it is MH Awareness Month).
- I wish more people knew about the existing services
- The HOT Team is so underfunded and over worked. Eve's Team should have better job security. They are very hard to get ahold of because of this.
- The board and care facilities should be better resourced and have stricter guidelines of care. There is one in South Berkeley that releases folks for the day and doesn't let them come in until later (as I understand it). People just wander and panhandle all day and it isn't a health dynamic for them or the community around them. They deserve a comfortable space and meaningful daily activities to engage them.
Is there anything else you would like to share regarding mental health services and needs in the City of Berkeley?

I am a homeless services provider in Berkeley. During COVID, I've been walking and biking around the city and see that many of those left on the street while we all hunker down in our homes, have mental health needs that aren't being met. It is dehumanizing and indicative of our broken system. That issue is obviously not Berkeley's alone and will take large scale policy change, but with Berkeley's compassion and dedication to meeting this need, we can set the example. Thank you for the amazing work that is already done. I can't wait to see more to come, especially with increased services from the Mobile Crisis Team ( I was so proud to learn that Berkeley does that, I don't think enough people know about it).

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What are the most pressing unmet mental health needs in the City of Berkeley?

What are your ideas on the best ways to address these needs?

Is there anything else you would like to share regarding mental health services and needs in the City of Berkeley?

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