OCTOBER 2022 - I hope this issue of the Sozosei Foundation newsletter finds you well and feeling optimistic. Last week, we reached our in-person attendance capacity for the 3rd Annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness. We have opened a waitlist and, of course, one can join virtually. To register please visit www.SozoseiSummit.org.
AUGUST 2022 - The Sozosei Foundation is pleased to announce our final round of grants for 2022 to decriminalize mental illness. Each grantee partner is working to eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness by improving access to mental health care in communities across the nation. Their work addresses one or more of the Foundation's four strategic pillars: Access to Care; Art and Communications; Research; and Scaling What Works.
JULY 2022 - As of July 16, 2022, the new 3-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 988, is officially live across the United States. The Sozosei Foundation applauds the tireless efforts of our grantee partners and others who made the transition to 988 possible. While this will help ensure this vital resource is even more accessible to individuals and families nationwide, the Foundation also recognizes that for 988 to fulfill its promise of one day serving as the nation’s mental health hotline, quite a bit of work remains to be done.
The Foundation recently kicked off a series of Global Solution Labs to surface more knowledge and perspectives about how to create a future where mental illness is not treated as a crime. Over 50 multidisciplinary “Solutionists” gathered on May 7, 2021, to take on the ambitious task of identifying the top solutions to move the needle on the decriminalization of mental illness.
In the spirit of collaboration, we recently hosted a Virtual Book Club featuring authors and renowned psychiatrist Dr. James Knoll and renowned psychologist Dr. Joel Dvoskin. Led by Sozosei Board Member, Mary Chi Michael, Dr. Knoll and Dr. Dvoskin discussed their contribution to the recently released book, “Decriminalizing Mental Illness” with more than 100 attendees.