Eureka Town Hall to Address Mental Health, Substance Use, and Homelessness Issues
Press release from the City of Eureka:
On Saturday, March 4th, from 1:30-4:30pm, the City of Eureka Mayor’s Initiative, in collaboration with Humboldt County Behavioral Health, will be hosting the first in a quarterly series of Community Health Town Halls.
The series will have rotating topics revolving around mental health, substance use, and homelessness issues within our community. The topic for our first Town Hall is Mental Health 101.
The events will consist of a panel of professionals from different parts of the field for each topic. They will give a brief presentation on their background and program, and then the remainder of the event will be opened up for public questions.
The City hopes these Town Halls will provide a dedicated forum to have respectful and safe dialogues around critical health related issues in the community. Through education, discussion, and developing creative and collaborative solutions, the City hopes to bring our community together in supporting those experiencing issues related to mental health, substance use, or homelessness.
These are truly community-based problems which require community solutions, and we hope that you bring your questions, suggestions, and solutions to share with your fellow community members. The Town Hall will be hosted in City of Eureka Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of Eureka City Hall, 531 K Street, Eureka. Doors will open at 1:30pm and there will be food and water free to attendees. The Town Hall will start at 2:00pm.
The event will also be live streamed for viewing only on the City’s website through Granicus, Zoom, and the City’s official Facebook Live account. To ask your question(s), you can attend in person or email your question ahead of time to [email protected].
Notecards will be available for anonymous question submission for inperson attendees who do not want to ask their question in front of an audience. Present at this event, Humboldt’s own chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will be tabling and accepting monetary donations. NAMI provides education and support to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use issues, as well as their family members. For more information on what your support of NAMI means, you can view their website at https://www.nami-humboldt.org/
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Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
How about starting with arrest, prosecution and keeping incarcerated the dealers, traffickers and manufacturers. Then, arrest the users who are committing crimes and keep them incarcerated until rehab is confirmed and then closely monitoring to make sure they don’t get back into crime. Allowing them to continue trashing everything everywhere they go has to stop. They made the choices. The rest of society shouldn’t have to continue being harmed by their behaviors. The progressive catch and release is only good for sport fishing and has no measure of reality for criminals. It’s time for zero tolerance and serious penalties that do not include roaming freely to commit more crime. These frequent fliers that don’t quit commit crimes deserve nothing but a jail cell and food. Incarceration needs to become such a bad experience that nobody wants to go back. Our current mayor and city council have demonstrated they have no skills in fixing anything, but instead make everything they touch worse.
Spot on Alf but that will never happen with democrats and the left in complete control of C[edit]ornia…Positive change will only come when republicans are voted into office.
Right, where have I heard this before….Have any of these folks ever even heard about AAA or the other drug related one’s? Sorry not sure of their names, But they teach tough love not enabling them or giving safe injection places or free crack pipes and on and on…. Quit handing out NARCAN. Sorry to say let them OD maybe others will take notice, surely a motivation to quit. And before folks go off on me, been there and done that, it wasn’t easy but helping get and use drugs safely wouldn’t have helped at all. I would probably still be using and playing the victim. Libs love talking and spending money pretending it helps but look where it has gotten us!
i use aaa to tow my car
I’m not in complete control; if I were, you would not be here.
What else would we expect
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up..
It doesn’t work. We tried it, it was called “the war on drugs” and it failed miserably.
The liberals refusing to continue using jails and prison as store houses for the mentally ill did indeed create a problem for us average Joe’s. But only because there is conservative opposition/obstruction to solving the underlying problem that created this issue, economic inequality, and to creating publicly funded long term, in patent mental health care facilities to address the issue in the meantime.
Mental illness has skyrockets because financial status means so much in our nation that it is hard to have any self respect or dignity if you are not making it in the middle class, and the middle class has shrunken significantly.
People chose a life of homeless drug addiction out of hopelessness. Not because drugs are so great or social services make big homeless a nice lifestyle, because hey sure as hell do not.
The reality is the war on drugs was never taken seriously. Martial law at the border, capital punishment for manufacturing and distribution were never tried. There will be no reduction without these two.
“Martial law at the border, capital punishment for manufacturing and distribution…”
Given these preferences, your relocating to, and taking citizenship in (not dual however) China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or The Philippines would likely provide the best fit for you.
Totally idiotic. Joe dumb ass Biden gave Ukraine 500 billion to help secure their country. How about securing the United States for a change. Liberals are so stupid they want to spend money for every country but their own. If drug smuggling and human trafficking isn’t an act of war against the United States, what is? Close the border and prosecute crime. Liberals refuse.
What does close the border even mean? That staement implies that there is currently no barrier to entry- which is patently false.
Also, what does prosecute crime mean? The US currently has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. We rank right up there with Cuba and Panama- 50% more than Russia, and more than 5 times higher than countries like South Korea and Italy.
You should visit the border some time. We have millions of “document-challenged seasonal guest-workers” in Texas about 9 months out of the year. And they come across “en masse” whenever they please. If “la migra” catches them, they’re set free on their promise to appear in front of s judge. Some few do, most don’t.
If you actually READ my comments, I said martial law for human trafficking and bringing drugs across the border. Capital punishment should be for drug manufacturers and transporters, not jail time. I only want jail time for lower level criminals and nothing but a cell and food for any inmate. The crimes I spoke of for capital punishment (immediately without endless appeals) is important because these individuals are mass murderers via drugs. Liberals will likely never get it, therefore we will never reduce crime. Thus, we will likely never become a truly civilized society.
There’s actually still thousands of miles of border that has no barrier at all . And there are hundreds of videos available of people simply walking across it by the thousands everyday.. It’s absolutely amazing to me how ignorant some people are of topics that they’re so passionate about…
“Hundreds of videos” yes and that 1. Isn’t very many 2. Have they been investigated for accuracy?
That one of those meaningless ideas. That somehow criminals are over incarcerated in comparison to countries that either do not allow crime to flourish in the first place or ignore it when it does. Maybe there’s a high rate of incarceration because the social mores of the country creates more crime in comparison to South Korea yet can’t bring itself to ignore it like Russia. Or Italy for that matter. Hello?
Left out the cent sign. “Biden gave Ukraine 500 billion”. Sure did. Pennies.
LMFAO!
I appreciate what you’ve said, but economic disparity is not a great measure for addiction. Just look at famous folks. Like anything, u have to want it. You cannot coax ppl into sobriety. Ask the recovered community.
Its a crime to let ppl use on the streets and live in despicable surroundings. Those who’ve recovered will also tell you they tried everything but jail is where they got sober sometimes bc of access to some health care, meals, medically assisted treatment,etc.
Having some pride,responsibility, accountability toward being sober is key to success.
As to chronic mental illness, I’ve worked in this field my whole career, and it’s simply true,that some folks need housed,medicated,kept safe and warm, bc they cannot manage alone.They are vulnerable and deserve our care. It may be in a locked facility.
More tents,walking by ppl in active addiction,won’t solve the problem.(not talking about emergency sheltering here..that’s obviously needed,ie weather).
It would help if the govt cared to stop fentanyl from being on our streets killing folks.
Whew. Thx for listening. Just my 2cents.
Peace.
Jail is where they got sober because of the lack of free drugs, a bed, a shower, decent food, clean clothes and equal footing to have fellowship with their fellow man/woman.
And Fent. isn’t on our streets because our govt doesn’t care. It’s here because we support an environment that creates homeless folks, supports drug dealers, turn a nimby eye to them what need help, and dictate that the worst/lowest point in someones life isn’t deserved of sympathy or help, it’s deserved of shame, belittlement, and blame.
Actually income is a fantastic predictor of homelessness, which in turn is extremely strongly correlated (and causal) with substance abuse.
Social stigma drives addiction. Negative stigma can be avoided by those with capital.
Jail is not where people should go for access to some health care, meals, medically assisted treatment,etc. That’s is why recover rates are better for the wealthy, they go to rehab instead of jail.
So are you suggesting jail and prison are the right places for this, or do you agree with me?
Money doesn’t guarantee anything AND in this country those with money have more options…do they use them perfectly? No and they at least have better chances . Our whole culture is in danger given how we haven’t been focused on mental health care, quality and access.
And while in jail they should be made to work to pay for their keep !!
Absolutely!
And when does that transition into throwing people in jail for made-up reasons for the free slave labor? Because that’s what has happened in the past.
The Chinese government’s system of imprisonment of, and forced labor for tens of millions of the nation’s Uighur citizens seems the perfect model to fit your demands.
They are paying for their keep. Many large bundle 401K’s and IRA’s invest in the “Prison for Profit” model.
See, if it says “Correctional Facility” instead of “Jail” it’s a private for-profit endeavor. And lots of these pop up pens allow for investors (how can you lose, with more and more of the population trying out the system), and a lot of these investors are your IRA and/or mutual fund. So, yeah. Prison is industry, for sure.
How about this; Bulldoze three flats somewhere. Fence ’em. Leave one open on one side, one with razor wire all around. Divide them into camping spaces. Good guys in the area with the three sided white picket fence, bad guys in the wire. Third flat needs to be garden.Supply concrete pads, water and toilets. Move law enforcement, detox, counseling into immediate area.
When facilities are full, move vagrants along, aimed at Sacramento, where our masters will know what to do.
The mess this state is in was created by us through greed, laziness and ignorance. Either we do something or not. If we do, the state must foot the bill.
Those who would bemoan the spending of the tax dollars should back their play with evidence of just how absurd our capitals’ spending policies really are. Point out some of the really stupid stuff that simple people can grasp.
The budget is a buffet. Gavins’ buffet. It’s full of desserts, scrupulously made to make everyone forget about the godamm meat and potatoes. Living on dessert has condemned this state to a slow, ugly death. Time to change our diet. It’s to the point I can’t even look at a bullshit ice cream cone without my gut rumbling.
Hey Kym. I think your ‘staff’ person meant to say ‘substance use’ not “us” in the headline. Or maybe I am missing the point.
(I did have a humorous line to approach this suggestion. But chose to play on the side of not wanting a misunderstanding, in case there might be sensitivities…).
It’s a beautiful day! Enjoy.
Kim Bergel is the Mayor.
Paint a flower on it!
Good luck with talking about the problem…
Solutions take funds, space, equipment, supplies, and staff. If you have these, you can solve a few of your problems in the short term.
Solving drug addiction, crime, homelessness and mental health disorders, all at once or separately, is far beyond the abilities of the Officials and Contractors working for Eureka.
A bus ticket back home would be a cheap start
And it’s people with that mindset like you who who created this problem. Why don’t you go try it and see how glamorous it is to be on the streets, let alone in these conditions.
Suggest you read an Aesop Fable. ‘Ant and Grasshopper’.
Most of us worked for 45 some-odd years… or are in progress of doing that.
Maybe graveyard sometimes, Thanksgivings, Christmases, cleaning cow-shit out of a barn, welding, waitressing, cooking food on a hot grill, felling timber, hauling fishing gear, driving truck at overnight… and paying a third (or so) of our income in taxes.
Hint, it ain’t easy making a living.
Then, on the other hand, we have the bums, boozers, dope addicts, freaks (or a combination of all four). Now they want a free lunch, free housing, free drugs, and no cops. Ala… ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’. (Suggest you listen to the words.)
On a local level… ‘Work Camps’ are the answer. Meals, uniforms, and beds in exchange for work, and that is all with no drugs. Those who really want to claw their way of homeless will work. Gain a skill, and gain the willingness to do it.
If you don’t work ? You will be loaded on a bus out of the county.
Hint: it ain’t easy being homeless. “Fables”to follow..Ok we’ll sign up for you as president, LOL. Anytime your bitterness about hard work gets too much feel free to live homeless. You got free food, housing etc as a child and many with your attitude got inheritance too that you don’t mention. You have no idea what homeless have been through and how much work it takes to survive in conditions you and others would be whining about in a second…no heat, no running water, bad food and no way to store it..etc. etc.
It is just easier to do what is needed to survive each day than to do what is not immediately necessary but good for the long haul. It is obvious that yes, being homeless is easier than working steadily. Right up to the point that it catches up to the consequences. It’s same ease of sleeping in eash day and not getting forced awake to go school. It is the ease of following impulse to get immediate satisfaction rather enduring frustration to invest in a safer future. It just that living for the moment dramatically fails at some point. So you’d be wrong because all you insist on looking at is the point of failure. What you really mean is a crisis is hard. Respect those who work to not burden you with that inevitable crisis.
You think being homeless is easier than working? That is an insane take… maybe try being homeless for a month and see how much work it is to survive lol. That includes people in lifted trucks complaining and saying how spoiled you are.
It’s EXPENSIVE not having money. I know whoever is going to reply to this will say “nah I pay a lot more than them” because they don’t know how to think critically.
Preciate the start you’ve left the world and economy in.
Thanks Ant.
That parable only really applies when there are resources to lax off and not gather. Doesn’t work so well when the 2 previous generations shipped off alll of our jobs, crashed the retirement planning of an entire country, chose to invest in the housing mkt because they’ve shipped everything else off to be manufactured cheaper, which makes housing even more expensive, didn’t keep the govt on point, so wages never increased to match the rate of inflation, endured conflict after conflict because, you know “America!”, and voted the absolute worst to run the country. Now there is no govt. Just lobbyists and grifters. Where were you Mr. Ant while all this was happening?
Preach!
You can either choose to try and help them so they get off tax dollars or whine until you can get someone to rub your back and tell you how much you are the victim. Unfortunately we know you will choose hate. I personally hope my income helps and everyone can have their chance to overcome their horrible situations. I talk with people on the streets often and they really just want to be OK as a baseline….. obviously it’s going to mess your life up if you are that depressed. Try to be a better human… you will go farther.
No one thinks living on the streets is easy. It just some people find doing the stuff that keeps them off the street is too hard. That is not the fault of those who do the necessary stuff to keep themselves of the street.
“Those who do the necessary stuff” tend to not aknowledge (even to themselves) the privledges they’ve had that made that possible.
What? The privilege of choosing not to indulge every whim? You are right that having an inheritance is important. But not the material inheritance you fantasize is so important. An inheretance of watching parents work hard and enjoy what they have is not something that everyone gets to have. It is however not remedied by complaing about it. There are constant reminders that is a nonsensical belief when there are so many people who rise above their circumstances of birth and so many who fall from them. And even more important, those who do not look to blame everyone but themselves but look to themselves.
Privilege. That’s some serious currency. Please tell me how to measure that.
I’ve been here since 1990 and since then, not one thing of any consequence has been done to alleviate any of these issues EXCEPT… blah, blah, and more blah. Give me a break. Y’all giving me an earache and indigestion.
Please, tell us all the things you’ve personally done to try and alleviate any of these issues over the last 30+ years you’ve been here.
I won’t speak for Sky Pilot, but I’ve been paying taxes in this state (gulag?) for more than 40 years. The return on my investment has been terrible. Now. What have YOU been doing to alleviate any of these issues besides expecting the working poor or middle class to keep contributing to the well-being of dope fiends, bat shit crazy individuals, slackers and ne’er do wells?
Oh noooo you payed taxes. Let me get you our tiniest violin and large bowl for those tears
crickets
Rarely in human history has a single person been able to significantly improve a societal issue. That is something only an idiot would expect.
Since 1990? You have willingly chosen 33 years of “earache and indigestion”? Your preference for, and tolerance of that much suffering easily distinguishes you as a martyr.
Seems to me there’s a pretty easy solution, Stop subsidizing them to sit around and do drugs and drink all day… Drug tests and work requirements for any kind of government assistance, period. Make them make the hard decisions between life or substance abuse.
And yes,most jails have become a joke. 3 meals a day in a warm dry comfortable dormitory with hot showers, tv, books, board games and access to phones. You can even buy stuff from the comminsary. Jail is not supposed to be comfortable
“Comfortable”? You have been watching too much fiction. If you think it is so great feel free to go and get yourself incarcerated.
The horses around here are pretty tall.
Actually I’ve spent several stints in the Humboldt Hilton. one started out for not having my dog tethered in the back of my truck, which escalated to threatening a police officer (any locals remember officer David blood) he threatened to pepper spray my 4-month-year-old puppy. I was in there over the weekend and was RO and the charges were reduced to disturbing the peace.
The second time I was renting a house from a family who got busted and got wrapped up in their bust. I was facing nine felonies because of my rifle collection, spent several more days in the Humboldt Hilton before I was able to bail myself out and spent almost two and a half years in court. finally had the charges dismissed because I was not on the search warrant and had nothing to do with it, although it still ended up costing me almost $30,000. Both times I was housed in the dormitory because I was a non-violent offender. Besides Lights Out hours and transferring of prisoners you have full access to showers, TVs, board games, a phone bank. You get three Square meals a day and can visit the commissary anytime you want.. Besides not being able to leave when you want to it wasn’t bad at all ,except for one other prisoner who kept trying to take my pillow.. when I was in over the weekend I had two separate inmates trying to sell me drugs on the inside as well..
Fantastic untrue story. That OBVIOUSLY didn’t happen LOL
Can you go there for a month and let us know how comfortable and spoiled people are? This could give some fantastic data to work off beside your ignorant opinion.
✝️Bottom line…Jesus saves. No program or mental health entity can fix what is spiritual in nature.?
Well he sure is doing a sh!t job do far.
Ah well. Choice means just that. You can only be offered salvation. Not dragged kicking and screaming into it.
Well there has never been a war started by science. Just religion or greed which mostly goes hand in hand