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Summer always means increased numbers of people coming to Will Rogers Beach and the Palisades. However, this summer we are seeing significantly more people experiencing homelessness than usual. This is due to multiple factors of which we are all aware: the impacts of the pandemic, early releases from prison, out-of-state homeless travelers, growing substance addiction, the current removal of homeless encampments throughout Los Angeles which is dislocating individuals not housed through the process, the lack of an agreed upon, effective, transparent City and County strategy. This is stress producing for all of us.
PPTFH is gearing up for this challenge by training new volunteers to work on our First Responder team, deploying our professional Outreach Team from The People Concern during peak hours, continuing to closely coordinate with our LAPD beach patrol and LA Fire Department, and responding as rapidly as possible to inquiries for assistance. As we do this work, we are tracking our data to be able to document and understand the impacts of this surge in homelessness on our community. We could not do this work without the support of the community. We thank all who are offering to help with their time, skills, and financial support.
This newsletter highlights the ongoing work of the Task Force as we deal with effects of increasing homelessness. Despite these conditions, we celebrated helping another two people move off of the street, experienced some powerful “success stories” and learned from Dr. Jonathan Sherin (Director of the LA County Department of Mental Health) about what is needed to address our pressing mental health issues related to homelessness.
While we wait for more information about the status of Councilmember Mike Bonin’s proposal, we are actively seeking reliable information and exploring solutions for what feels like, to many of us, a pending state of emergency. This will be the subject of our July 26 community webinar. Please join us!
Sharon Browning and Sharon Kilbride
Co-Presidents
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Ending the "Off & On" Street Cycle of
Severely Mentally Ill People
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Jonathan E. Sherin, M.D., Ph.D.
LA County Department of Mental Health, Director
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The May 24, 2021 PPTFH community webinar addressed the disturbing “off & on” street cycle that increasing numbers of our mentally ill homeless people must endure, as must the communities in which they live. Sharon Browning, Co-president of PPTFH, introduced Jonathan E. Sherin, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), by posing questions for his thoughts on ending this destructive cycle.
Dr. Sherin stated that we have reached an inflection point with a public health and public safety humanitarian crisis on our hands, which demands that our tactics change. We must recognize that the condition of homelessness has different causes such as chronic severe mental illness (distinct from mental illness caused by the trauma of the homeless condition), drug addiction or financial stresses, each of which requires different treatment methodology. DMH is focused on a planning strategy that includes legislation and community actions to serve the most severely mentally ill.
Help for the mentally ill must include treatment, housing, work and connection with the community. The inadequacy of resources in LA County has created "open-air asylums" in the form of the street or jail. With a shortage of 4,000 treatment beds and 500,000 housing units, he advocates building quality shelters with services. Our elected officials need to look at options for such sites, perhaps in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers, to construct permanent sites on city, state or federal property, as opposed to the tiny homes movement now underway.
Insufficient funds plus regulations which prohibit flexibility in spending inhibit plans to create a solution for parity between the treatment of physical disease and mental illness. We are not in compliance with current parity laws due to lack of funding. DMH is actively pushing for an exclusion to federal law prohibiting Medicaid reimbursement for patients receiving mental health/substance abuse care in a facility with more than 16 beds. The goal is facility-based treatment which maximizes treatment while minimizing "locked" time.
A lightning-rod issue of autonomy versus paternalism presents when seriously mentally ill people refuse treatment. The legal definition of "gravely disabled" must be expanded to state that a person with a profound mental disability is one who is unable to live safely and refuses treatment, provoking risk to him or herself and to the community. Legislatively there must be a step-up in the limitations of the "5150" hold, involving replacement of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, thus allowing institutionalization of patients against their will or for indefinite time periods.
What can ordinary citizens do now to promote legislative changes? Write elected officials at all levels to publicly promote the concept that everyone will have to make concessions for the public good. This will take time and the public will to fund such actions as decades of negligence may take decades to fix.
Elizabeth Fore Keatinge
Communications Committee
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Outreach Team Progress
January 2016 - May 2021
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During this reporting period, The People Concern Outreach Team made a total of 158 contacts. Of those, 145 were on-street and repeated contacts with 60 individuals. Thirteen of the contacts were off-street, repeat contacts with 2 individuals who are in some form of shelter or housing. A total of 19 individuals new to the Palisades were contacted, 5 were female and 14 were male.
One client was placed in a motel because his Project Roomkey site closed before he could be placed in permanent supportive housing. Our client had been approved and was waiting for permanent housing in Santa Monica. We are fortunate to have funds for the use of motels in critical circumstances like this to prevent our clients from returning to the streets. Not only would that have been traumatic, but without this support he may have left the area and lost his housing opportunity.
An additional client was issued his housing voucher from St. Joseph’s Center, one of the designated providers of housing vouchers. The Team’s housing navigator will work together with the St. Joseph case manager assigned to the voucher to help this client successfully move into housing.
With these two individuals moved off the street, the Outreach Team has now helped a total of 143 individuals move off the streets with 91 of those placed in permanent supportive housing.
Given the limited supply of appropriate housing, the role of the Outreach Team’s “housing navigator” is increasingly important. It is the housing navigator who finds housing, prepares the client for their housing interview, guides the client through leasing arrangements, and helps the client remain housed.
We are grateful to our entire Outreach Team, especially during these challenging times.
Sharon Browning
Outreach Oversight Committee
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C.J. was born on October 10, 1986, in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province in China. He speaks English, French, Japanese, and Chinese. In China, he was a chef’s assistant, an assistant lawyer, business interpreter, and a senior partner with WISDOM INVESTMENTS. C.J. has a great spiritual belief and walks in faith with inspiration. He is very friendly and also loves playing the flute wherever he goes throughout Los Angeles.
The Outreach Team began to engage C.J. in February 2021, at Temescal Canyon and PCH. He was at the beach feeling hopeless and had given up on everything. The Outreach Team introduced C.J. to the Team’s “housing navigator” (a specialist in locating and facilitating entry to permanent housing) and they were quickly able to build rapport with each other. The housing navigator started to meet with C.J. various times per week in order to get him “document ready” for housing (i.e., secure and complete all of the required documents to enter supportive housing). With tremendous support from the Project Director of Turning Point, C.J. was able to leave some of his belongings there overnight while he looked for and found work. He was also able to stop by Turning Point for daily hot meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
The Outreach Team helped C.J. with employment by sending a referral to Chrysalis in Santa Monica. C.J. actively looked for a job and even attended a job fair in Santa Monica. With all of his work, C.J. is now employed at a restaurant in Santa Monica. The Team also helped C.J. with acquiring proper eyeglasses which he now uses in his everyday life.
The housing navigator referred C.J. to our clinical case manager in the hopes of further preparing him for permanent housing. C.J. has completed his SPDAT (i.e., a service prioritization assessment required to enter housing) and the Team is now exploring several options for locating housing such as a housing voucher, rapid re-housing or shared housing. With the guidance of the housing navigator, C.J. will be on his way to housing and one step closer to reaching his goals.
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Local Agencies Partner with PPTFH
on Hillside Fire Prevention Taskforce
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Off-road vehicle team
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Camper in restricted fire area
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On June 1, 2021, a taskforce operation led by WLA LAPD commanding officer Jonathan Tom was prompted by recent fires. Captain Tom enlisted the help of PPTFH First Responder volunteers (Bruce Schwartz, Helga Jessen, Dede Vlietstra, Sharon Kilbride), LA Park Rangers, MCRA (Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority), California State Park Rangers, LAPD Valley Traffic off-road motor unit, LAPD homeless coordinator, two outreach workers from The People Concern and two nurses. The command post was staged in the parking lot near lifeguard headquarters. It was an impressive turnout. All parties were able to network at the meeting prior to checking the hillsides for activity. The success of the operation was significantly enhanced by PPTFH’s knowledge of encampment locations.
Our dedicated LAPD beach patrol officers Margin and Yi worked with PPTFH, mapping out the hillsides surrounding the Palisades and dividing them into four quadrants. Each quadrant was then patrolled by a group, which had been supplied with maps, locations and photos of encampment hotspots, and information on known arson suspects. The results from the hillside operation were two misdemeanor citations (camping in a restricted fire area and open container of alcohol) and nine abandoned camps being cleaned up. The two individuals cited were offered Project Roomkey.
Throughout this summer, a team of 4 beach patrol officers will be canvassing the hillsides for unhoused individuals and illegal campsites. The beach patrol will offer services to appropriate persons and direct them to our Outreach Team for services.
In the future, due to its huge success, this collaborative operation will occur twice a year to ensure the safety of our community from the threat of fire danger. Our local community can maintain its safety by the following: (1) call 911 to report anyone in a posted restricted fire area in our hillside areas; (2) report illegal encampments by emailing the beach patrol. Visit our website pptfh.org and located under OUR RESOURCES are contact details; and (3) email PacpaliHTF@gmail.com to report any homeless individuals in need of help and, if possible, include a photo and location.
It’s going to be a hot, dry and fire-prone summer, so if you see something say something!
Sharon Kilbride
Chair, First Responder Committee
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Beanies, Scarves, Caps, Hand and Foot Warmers—OH MY!
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From top: Kim Clary and Chrissie Peters, Patricia Lewin, Mia and Art Peters
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PPTFH continues to experience the heartfelt generosity of our neighbors through donations given to our Outreach Team and members of the First Responder Committee to engage homeless individuals. Chrissie Peters supplied us with boxes of new beanies and scarves, (all individually wrapped), Patricia Lewin hand knitted warm woolen caps, and Mia and Art Peters donated a large amount of hand and foot warmers. In addition to handing out these items at meetups, Glanda Sherman and Jessi Cortez from The People Concern distributed them at the very successful Covid-19 vaccination clinic site to homeless individuals taking part in the program. It was helpful to be able to offer such useful items to encourage our homeless neighbors to receive their vaccinations. They were greatly needed and appreciated by the recipients! In addition, the Outreach Team feel that by keeping the homeless warm then they will be less likely to start warming fires.
PPTFH has experienced a large increase in residents offering to volunteer with us! This has been most helpful and comes at a propitious time. We have been able to add more “boots on the ground”—additional First Responder Committee volunteers who are so needed due to the increase in homeless individuals coming into the area. We also have new volunteers on the Communications Committee. The new volunteers are dedicated, hardworking and offer professional skills that are useful to the PPTFH. Thank you to all of our wonderful residents who recently volunteered and became involved with our mission!
Kim Clary
Chair, Volunteer Committee
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PPTFH SEEKS MORE VOLUNTEERS!
First Responder Committee member
If you like to hike, walk, or bike in your neighborhood, join our First Responder Committee in engaging our homeless neighbors and connecting them to outreach service workers from The People Concern.
Technology administrator
This position requires the skill set and availability to provide technical support for online community meetings/webinars, assistance with simple tech video recording and other such duties. This can be an on-call position.
Newsletter and marketing writer
Volunteers are needed to assist with writing articles for the PPTFH newsletter (six newsletters a year), and support materials for PPTFH’s standing committees, e.g., fundraising and publicity materials.
Fundraising committee generalist
Two volunteers with experience or interest in learning about fundraising are needed to assist with the PPTFH annual fundraising program. This position does not require personal solicitation of donations.
PPTFH is essentially an all-volunteer organization. If you are interested in becoming involved, wish to make a difference and have a heart for PPTFH’s mission, please apply by email (include your phone number) to Kim Clary at PacPaliHTF@gmail.com.
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The American Legion: PPTFH Charter Funding Partner
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Carol Sanborn and Kevin Niles
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The American Legion was founded in France in 1919 to support returning World War I veterans and later in the same year was chartered by the United States Congress. Pacific Palisades Post 283 was established in 1928 and today counts 590 dues-paying members. Its categories of membership include Legionnaires who served during wartime, Auxiliary members who are spouses of veterans, and the Sons of the American Legion. Two years ago non-wartime military veterans were welcomed into membership.
The Legion’s mission, as adopted by the National Executive Committee in October 2020, is “to enhance the well-being of America's veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.” Among the American Legion's value principles that guide its work is one concerning family and community engagement “which means the American Legion meets the unique needs of local communities.”
The many programs and philanthropy of Post 283 set it apart from other posts throughout the country, made possible by revenue generated as landlord of CVS and the Post Office. They fund an American Legion Legacy Scholarship. Post 283 also sponsors candidates for the Boys and Girls State competition which offers a hands-on experience in civic responsibility and for The American Legion Oratorical Contest which develops deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution.
Post 283 distributes over $1 million in grants each year to various programs, including the Boy Scouts, the Fourth of July Parade, and Parks and Recreation. We are proud and grateful that Post 283 is a Charter Funding Partner of PPTFH, whose mission includes “keeping the community safe.” The American Legion’s bold and generous multi-year pledge of financial support has helped make possible the transition of 143 homeless individuals into housing and the clearing of over 950 encampments which had posed a severe brushfire threat.
In doing so, Post 283 helps preserve the same community that welcomed back veterans from World Wars I and II so long ago, allowing future generations of their families to enjoy the spirit and safety of this unique community. Adjutant Kevin Niles said “We are proud to support community organizations as part of the legacy built by the wisdom of the founders of Post 283.”
Carol Sanborn
Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee
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ONLINE COMMUNITY MEETING
A Pending Homelessness State of Emergency?
The Perspective of a Comprehensive Service Provider
Monday, July 26, 2021
7:00 – 8:15 PM | Zoom Webinar
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Los Angeles has a rapidly escalating state of homelessness. Are there immediate public health and safety consequences that require attention now? Will currently proposed City and County strategies solve these public safety issues? What is the role of service agencies tasked with implementing and making the City and County strategies succeed? Who is providing coordinated leadership on these issues? Please join us for a discussion about these critical questions and more.
Help us know what you want to know by submitting your questions when you register or ask them at the meeting.
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Your Donation Makes a Difference
Help PPTFH raise funds to pay for the The People Concern Outreach Team, our partner in helping people move from the street into permanent, supportive housing.
Click Donate below to learn more and make an online contribution.
To make a donation by mail, checks can be sent to:
PPTFH, PO Box 331, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
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Visit the PPTFH Website
Please visit pptfh.org to learn more about us, our current activities, and more detailed data about the Outreach Team’s progress. Previous newsletters can also be accessed there.
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