The Davis Police Accountability Commission partnered with the Social Services Commission to discuss community resources available in Davis
By YUENJO FAN — city@theaggie.org
On Feb. 12, the city of Davis held the “Who You Gonna Call?” community informational event at the Veterans Memorial Theatre, organized by the Police Accountability Commission and the Social Services Commission.
In a free public outreach effort, city residents were invited to hear from government and non-profit organizations about local resources to help address crises or social service issues.
A total of six organizations were present: the Davis Emergency Dispatch Center, Davis Community Meals and Housing, the Downtown Streets Team, Yolo County Department of Health Services Agency, Davis Social Services and Housing Department and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Yolo County.
Assistant City Manager Kelly Stachowicz touched upon why the city decided to host the event and the importance of residents having different ways of finding help.
“Every year, [the commissions] try to put on a public outreach event to help people understand law enforcement or [their] alternatives,” Stachowicz said. “The purpose of this event was: if people are in crisis or they have a particular issue where they need assistance of some sort but it might not be a criminal issue, […] who do they call? What resources do we have in the community? […] A law enforcement officer may come out, but somebody else is going to be the one who’s going to be trained to deal with the mental health issue or homeless outreach, etc.”
Stachowicz emphasized how different crises warrant different responses and that Davis has the necessary resources specific to all types of non-criminal issues that could arise. For instance, the Davis Social Services and Housing Department is responsible for issues regarding housing and homelessness, focusing on promoting community health and safety.
Dana Bailey, the department’s director, spoke on how the department aids community members currently struggling with homelessness.
“What we attempt to do is to go out, boots on the ground, and engage with people that have experience of being unhoused on the street,” Bailey said. “So, our team of two will go out in response to calls from the community and try to talk with someone that is either in crisis or just living on the street and try to connect them to some form of services.”
Non-profit organizations such as the Downtown Streets Team also seek to aid those experiencing homelessness by providing jobs and a sense of belonging. Those who are experiencing homelessness can use this as a resource to find ways to seek assistance and employment.
Heather Mundy, the director of Downtown Streets Team Sacramento and Yolo County, provided a deeper dive into what the organization does.
“We want to work with people who are in the experience of homelessness and we want to help them feel included in a community,” Mundy said. “So, you may see our team members in yellow shirts. […] They put those on and they know that they belong somewhere and that they are part of the team. Our volunteers then go out, pick up garbage and they beautify the community. They have picked up a lot of garbage in Davis so far.”
Moreover, presenting mental health resources was also another large part of the city’s outreach event. NAMI Yolo County has an array of programs and public awareness initiatives that hope to inspire change. Founded in 1979, NAMI has grown into a nationwide non-profit that holds more than 600 affiliated programs and continues to be a trusted support outlet for those struggling with mental illness.
The organization’s Executive Director for Yolo County, Jen Boschee-Danzer, believes that NAMI is a place where those struggling with mental illness can go for support.
“All of our programs are offered at no cost to participants and everything that we do is peer-led,” Boschee-Danzer said. “Our mission at Yolo County is to provide advocacy, support, education and public awareness so that all individuals and families who are affected by mental illness can build better lives.”
The “Who You Gonna Call?” community informational event is held annually and sponsored by the city of Davis, the Police Accountability Commission and the Social Services Commission. More information on other upcoming events can be found on the city of Davis’ website.
Written By Yuenjo Fan — city@theaggie.org
