Access Living Town Hall - Emergency Response Alternatives

Join Access Living for a Virtual Town Hall to discuss The Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA), a bill that would create an alternative emergency response system for people who need help from professionals trained in mental/behavioral crises. ASL interpretation and CART provided.

Right now, the care of people experiencing these emergencies has been left to the police, who, being trained in law enforcement instead of mental health care, too often misunderstand the situation. Treating these emergencies like a law enforcement activity leads to exacerbation of the healthcare crisis, unnecessary lock-ups, and police killings.

Young adults of color with disabilities in Access Living’s organizing group Advance Your Leadership Power were catalysts behind this bill in response to the death of young disabled people at the hands of police.

This Town Hall will feature people with disabilities, health professionals, state legislators and guests talking about why and how this bill will save lives and reduce incarceration rates in Illinois.

S’fya Eshe – In 2013, a police officer restrained S’fya at a hospital by pressing on her head and neck, and S’fya was later transferred to a psychiatric ward.

Renee Watts – Renee is the sister of Stephon Watts, a 15-year-old boy with autism who was killed by the police during a mental health crisis.

Simone Wilson – Simone is a mental health advocate,motivational speaker, and former special education paraprofessional.

There will be time for a Q&A. Questions submitted via Zoom's chat are not accessible to screen readers. If you're interested in submitting a question, we encourage you to do so in advance via this form: https://www.accessliving.org/get-involved/emergency-response-alternatives-town-hall-question-submission/