Community

Promoting Wellness in the African American Community

Published

8 years ago

February 10, 2016

In a historic move, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services (has funded the design phase of an African American Wellness Hub in Alameda County.

The organization’s steering committee is working to maximize recovery, resilience and wellness for African Americans who are experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.

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“This investment will be some of the best spent money toward our effort in reducing mental health disparities and improving outcomes for the African American community,” said of Gigi Crowder, the organization’s Ethnic Services Manager.

“This is a new, trendsetting approach to providing supports and services that are culturally fine-tuned,” she said.

Wade Nobles, Ph.D., founding executive director of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Black Family Life and Culture, is the consultant for the project-planning phase, which will explore what the Wellness Hub would look like.

“This is not taking place anywhere in the country,” Dr. Nobles said “It is a special and radical shift where a county agency is going to have the voices of our community heard.”

A systematic response to those needs will be crafted.

“We want to preserve, understand and actualize the core best practices for African American people,” said Nobles. “There is a science of Black psychology that has been developed for 35 years, and we want to blend this with our understanding of African American culture and the healing practices to restore wellness to our community.”

The funding will be provided by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), based on a 1 percent tax on California residents with a personal income above $1 million.

The MHSA dollars are for a two-year project for the design phase of the African American Wellness Hub. The committee has recommended that hub be designed with spokes or satellite offices to meet the health needs of African Americans across the county.

The hub’s services would be offered in welcoming and nurturing environments. Staff would be hired who understand the cultural nuances and values embraced by African Americans.

More than 2 million adults – about 8 percent of the population – are affected by potentially disabling mental illnesses each year in California.

Due to the Mental Health Services Act, Alameda County programs have received funding to provide care and supports. Voters approved Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, in 2004, and in 2005, it went into effect.

The African American Health and Wellness Steering Committee was established in February 2015 following up on the 2011 African American Utilization Study Report (http://www.aahi-sbc.org/uploads/African_American_Utilization_Report_-_Alameda_County_Behavioral_Health_Care_Services.pdf).

This report offered goals and recommendations to better address and respond to the African American community’s behavioral health needs.

At its annual Black History Month event Friday, Feb. 26, the African American Steering Committee will present Black Minds Matter 2! from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Oakland Youth Center, 3233 Market St. in Oakland.

The morning is open to the public. Starting at noon, people are invited for lunch, and community input sessions will be held for African American community members to offer their insights about what is needed for the African American Wellness Hub.

For information, contact Gigi Crowder at (510) 777-2118 or GCrowder@acbhcs.org

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Faces Around the Bay: Sidney Carey

Sidney Carey was born in Dallas, Texas. He moved with his family to West Oakland as a baby. His sister is deceased; one brother lives in Oakland. Carey was the Choir Director at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for 18 years.

Published

1 min ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of Sidney Lane.

By Barbara Fluhrer

Sidney Carey was born in Dallas, Texas. He moved with his family to West Oakland as a baby. His sister is deceased; one brother lives in Oakland.

Carey was the Choir Director at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for 18 years.

He graduated from McClymonds High with a scholarship in cosmetology and was the first African American to complete a nine-month course at the first Black Beauty School in Oakland: Charm Beauty College.

He earned his License, and then attended U.C., earning a secondary teaching credential. With his Instructors License, he went on to teach at Laney College, San Mateo College, Skyline and Universal Beauty College in Pinole, among others.

Carey was the first African American hair stylist at Joseph and I. Magnin department store in Oakland and in San Francisco, where he managed the hair stylist department, Shear Heaven.

In 2009, he quit teaching and was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. He was 60 and “too old for a heart transplant”. His doctors at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) went to court and fought successfully for his right to receive a transplant. One day, he received a call from CPMC, “Be here in one hour.” He underwent a transplant with a heart from a 25-year- old man in Vienna, Austria

Two years later, Carey resumed teaching at Laney College, finally retiring in 2012.

Now, he’s slowed down and comfortable in a Senior Residence in Berkeley, but still manages to fit his 6/4” frame in his 2002 Toyota and drive to family gatherings in Oakland and San Leandro and an occasional Four Seasons Arts concert.

He does his own shopping and cooking and uses Para Transit to keep constant doctor appointments while keeping up with anti-rejection meds. He often travels with doctors as a model of a successful heart-transplant plant recipient: 14 years.

Carey says, “I’m blessed” and, to the youth, “Don’t give up on your dreams!”

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Bay Area

Emiliano Zapata Street Academy Celebrates 40 Years Serving Oakland Families

The Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, a public alternative high school, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a community party and festival last Saturday with live music, good food, vendors’ booths, and activities for adults and children.

Published

12 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Live music was part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, a public alternative high school, on April 27, at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on Telegraph Avenue and 29th Street. Photo by Ken Epstein.

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, a public alternative high school, celebrated its 50^th anniversary this year with a community party and festival last Saturday with live music, good food, vendors’ booths, and activities for adults and children.

Attending the Saturday, April 27 celebration were current and past students, families, faculty, and supporters of the school. The school is located at 417 29^th St., and the celebration was held nearby at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

For more information, go to www.streetacademy.online or call 510) 874-3630 or (510) 879-2313.

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Activism

Oakland Ambassadors Strengthen Ties and Aid Efforts in Ghana

Oakland natives and esteemed members of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), Jonathan P. Jones and Dr. Maritony Efua Jones, recently embarked on a significant journey to Ghana as guests of the World Martial Authority Ghana. This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Published

20 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Elder Jorg Klebingat, Flint Mensah, Richard Burton, H.E. Dr. Maritony Jones, Amb. Jonathan Jones, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Elder Alfred Kyungu. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

This trip signifies a crucial opportunity to bolster partnerships, explore new avenues of collaboration, and contribute to impactful initiatives in Ghana.

Upon their arrival at Katota Airport in Accra, Ghana, the Joneses were warmly received by His Royal Majesty Okatakyie Asafo Boakye III, the distinguished king of Sanzule Kingdom in the Eastern Nzema, and Etse Nyamedi of World Martial Authority, Ghana.

Nyamedi accompanied the Joneses to the city of Mepe, which had recently experienced flooding, to assess damages and engage with local leaders, elders, and youth regarding the city’s urgent needs after major floods last fall.

Key concerns and priorities identified by the community include comprehensive flood mitigation measures, agricultural support, housing initiatives, educational enhancements, improved healthcare access, and the development of communal recreational spaces.

The Joneses were also graciously invited to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at their headquarters in Accra. This meeting provided insights into ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ghana and explored avenues for collaboration to further assist Ghanaian communities.

The LDS leaders shared their prompt response to the recent flood, demonstrating their commitment to humanitarian aid by dispatching substantial supplies including medical provisions, sanitation items, blankets, and food to assist flood victims just four days after the disaster.

Additionally, Boakye extended a special invitation to the Joneses to his palace, where they were pleasantly surprised with a heartfelt recognition ceremony. Maritony Jones was honored as the Queen Mother of the Sanzule Kingdom in acknowledgment of her dedicated work, while Jonathan Jones was lauded and welcomed as the ambassador of the Sanzule Kingdom, symbolizing a meaningful homecoming to their ancestral land.

The visit not only strengthens ties between Oakland and Ghana but also underscores the collaborative spirit and commitment to meaningful progress and humanitarian endeavors shared by all involved parties.