To: s-acc@yahoogroups.com
From: Andrew Phelps <no-action@cwnet.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:56:20 -0800
Subject: [s-acc] personal outreach initiative
Hi
Just as Pres. Obama has had to "reset" so I suppose do we; surely I do. As a micro-response or "grassroots advocacy" this Thursday I took a flyer to an MHSA "innovations" meeting where the plan for reviving Santa Clara County police "mobile crisis" – approved in principle - was under discussion. The
proposal I'd presented with Psynergy, Inc. for a "clinical gaze" component to "innovations" had been marginalized as an "also ran."I passed around
my flyer to the 25 persons present - including M.H. Division Staff, County Sheriff reps. - and I urged them to engage the issue of "stereotypes" before reviving the same-old same-old police intervention "fixes.""Surge" is in but it is not the path of wisdom. That's how I describe the "organizing attitude" for MHSA work in Santa Clara County today.
I was politely received. I made an "announcement" where I gave reference to previous police issues with stereotyping, and urged a more "transformative" approach. Then I apologised and said I had to "teach a class" and left. Hopefully my calculus students were well served in the process.
Ultimately the "stakes" on S-ACC will be raised as the strategic relevance of our perspective comes more and more into focus.
Best
Andrew