Learn about telehealth with Alliance for Patience Access (AFPA)! AFPA will present information regarding the background and future of mental health telehealth services. AFPA is also welcoming panelists: Dr. Rimal Bera and his long-term patience George Ventura to present and discuss an in-depth perspective on finding a balance between telehealth and in-person care for mental health treatment.
NAMI California’s Town Hall on CalAIM, with Shaina Zurlin from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on March 30, 2021.
More info on CalAIM can be found here. The presentation provided an overview of CalAIM with an emphasis on behavioral health elements. This included the values driving the project, short and long term outcomes and perspective on how CalAIM will shape the experience of beneficiaries statewide.
Our Town Hall Presenter
Shaina Zurlin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Clinical Psychology with 20 years of experience in behavioral health. Serving as a clinician, administrator, director and leader in varying roles in non-profit organizations and government entities at state and local levels, her expertise lies in motivational interviewing, gender responsive trauma informed care and cultural transformations. Emphasizing a holistic strengths-based approach, Dr. Zurlin connects with clients, participants and multidisciplinary staff to generate successful and sustainable change which best meets individualized needs in dynamic, supportive settings.
In addition to serving as a research partner and contributing author with the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Zurlin has brought vibrant and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences throughout her career. She has been a featured speaker at the California Department of Health Care Services Substance Use Disorders Statewide Conference, the California Quality Improvement Coordinators Annual Conference, the University of California San Francisco, the Calciano Youth Symposium and San Diego State University. Adding to her breadth of experience, Dr. Zurlin was named an Honorary Clinical Instructor by Smith College School of Social Work and was the recipient of first and second place awards from the Society of Professional Journalism. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for a non-profit organization aimed at helping youth around the globe find their voice through journalism.
NAMI California’s Annual Youth Symposium was Tuesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 14.
Our Town Hall speaker: Lara Gregorio, LCSW. With 20+ years in the behavioral health space, in settings ranging from in-patient to community mental health and private practice, Lara has a commitment to empowering consumers, scaling compassion, and providing care when, how, and where it is needed. Innovating and designing programs in the digital mental health space since 2013, she has built telehealth programs and designed online therapy and mental health community platforms. In 2020, she co-founded humanest to provide an online space to combat loneliness and provide a path to emotional growth and health.
NAMI California Town Hall Meeting on the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act, featuring guest speaker Randall Hagar. The goal was to provide education and background on LPS, with a basic overview on the California law governing the involuntary civil commitment of individuals who — due to mental illness — pose a danger to themselves or others, or who are gravely disabled and require inpatient psychiatric care.
Our speakers:
Randall Hagar is currently the Policy Consultant and Legislative Advocate for the Psychiatric Physicians Alliance of California. Formerly 1st Vice President and Chair of the California Alliance for Mental Illness’ Legislative Committee, he helped to write both the California Mental Health Insurance Parity and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (Laura’s Law) statutes and was the program director for family education.
Shannon Suo graduated from UC Davis Family Medicine and Psychiatry residency program and holds dual-board certification in both specialties. She served as Medical Director of Northgate Point Regional Support Team (a Sacramento County-contracted community mental health clinic providing services to people with significant chronic mental illness/”target population” diagnoses) for seven years before moving to UC Davis, where she worked at the Sacramento County Health Center providing medical and psychiatric care. In 2017, she started Sacramento County’s Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic, providing urgent mental health services with an interdisciplinary team of peer support specialists, clinicians, nurses, and psychiatric staff to avert the need for hospitalization and emergency room visits. Suo is also a faculty member at UCD, teaching medical students and residents in psychiatry, family medicine, internal medicine (as well as the combined programs for IM Psych and FM Psych), primary care providers, and is currently treasurer of the Psychiatric Physicians Alliance of California.
“There are many barriers to finding the right care at the right time appropriate for persons in crisis because of a mental illness. One of them is the 50-year-old set of treatment laws called the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act [LPS Act], which badly needs updating,” said Hagar, who helped write the Laura’s Law statute, and other changes to the LPS.
Our second virtual conference presents the opportunity for meaningful discussion, and the ability to reflect and connect with peers statewide. We encourage reflection, exploration, and celebration, as we virtually come together again this year. Last year, our first-ever virtual event reached new members within our community and created opportunities for engaging discussions within the virtual platform.
California law enforcement representatives joined us for conversations about officer wellness led by law enforcement.
NAMI California is teaming up with the State of California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for a training program to support officer wellness and address trauma. NAMI COPE is a resilience-building peer support program designed specifically for law enforcement, modeled on the NAMI Connection support group, a peer-led, 90-minute, weekly confidential support group for those experiencing mental health challenges.
Listening sessions were facilitated by law enforcement and for law enforcement to share their insights and experiences on officer wellness.
