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ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THIS, UH, LONG BEACH ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING MEETING ON OCTOBER 9TH, BEGINNING AT 10:04 AM CAN IRENE PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? MICHELLE VALENCIA HERE.
OKAY, SO FOR THE RECORD, UH, COMMISSIONER CHIN IS EXCUSED TODAY AND SO FAR, COMMISSIONER GOLDSTEIN IS UNEXCUSED.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? SAYING NONE.
WE NOW HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER SCHMIDT, CAN YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TODAY? I PLEDGE REGENTS TO FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER HINES, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR US TODAY? ABSOLUTELY.
WE ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LONG BEACH'S, CULTURALLY DIVERSE OLDER POPULATION BY EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICES RELATED TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY, AND LANGUAGE ACCESS.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, CAN YOU PLEASE READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE.
MADAM CHAIR, LEAD THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AG.
RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ON TRADITIONAL AND SACRED LANDS OF MANY INDIGENOUS GROUPS WHO CALL ITS GROUNDS HOME.
WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE, AND RESILIENCE, AND THERE'S SPIRIT THAT WE STRIVE TO ALWAYS HONOR AND RESPECT THE WISDOM OF OUR ELDERS.
BEFORE WE START THE AGENDA, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS JASMINE SMITH.
SHE'S SITTING IN FOR HEIDI TODAY.
OKAY, NOW WE HAVE TO, I RECOMMEND THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE, A ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING FROM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH.
DO WE HAVE ANY MOTION TO SO MOVED? AND ANY SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT? KAY, DOES ANY THE COMMISSION WISH TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ON THAT BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? NO.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING SEPTEMBER'S, UH, MINUTES SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? AND ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY, THE MOTION PASSES.
UH, NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO HEAR A PRESENTATION FOR, UH, ALEX TRUJILLO.
ALEX CAN WELCOME AND CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WE'D LIKE TO HEAR CLEAR.
MY NAME'S ALEX TRUJILLO, UH, MARINE CORPS VETERAN.
UH, CURRENTLY WORKING WITH DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AT THE VISIT OFFICE.
SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE, THE HOSPITAL HERE IN LONG BEACH LOCALLY, RIGHT? UM, BUT THEN WE GO, UM, FROM THE VA, WHICH IS THE VA CENTRAL OFFICE DOWN TO THE REGIONAL, WHICH IS THE VIM.
AND IT'S, I, I BELIEVE IT'S SPREAD OUT TO, UH, AT LEAST THIS ONE IS VIM 22, WHICH ENCOMPASSES, UM, NEW MEXICO, UM, ARIZONA, UH, SAN DIEGO, GREATER LOS ANGELES, AND LONG BEACH.
THOSE ARE THOSE HOSPITALS AND LIN FALL UNDER OUR BUSINESS.
UM, SO MY MAIN ROLE IN, IN, IN THIS, UM, IN THIS PART OF THE VA IS, UH, TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO BUILD COALITIONS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION.
RIGHT? AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UM, PART OF THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO BE HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, I I DO THE WORK THAT I DO TO ENGAGE SENIORS, RIGHT? IS BECAUSE, UM, THE DATA TELLS US, RIGHT? THAT AT LEAST IN LA COUNTY, THAT, UM, SO AGAIN, MY CATCHMENT ERRORS ARE LA AND LONG BEACH, JUST 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE LONG BEACH VA SERVICES WRITE.
THE DATA TELLS US THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ELDER POPULATION IS AT A VERY HIGH RISK, YOU KNOW, FOR SUICIDE.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, READING SOME OF THE DATA THAT I HAVE, RIGHT? SO FROM 2016, UH, 2004, UH, 2022, WHICH IS ABOUT A SPAN OF SIX YEARS, RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE, UH, 105 DEATHS BY SUICIDE IN, UH, 2016
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ALONE, RIGHT? UM, 2017 WAS 94 DEATHS, RIGHT? UM, AND THESE ARE VETERAN DEATHS, RIGHT? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, 2018 IS 108.UH, 2019 IS 87, 20 20 IS 81 DEATHS.
UH, 2021 IS ALSO 81 DEATHS, AND 2022 IS 75.
AND THAT'S THE MOST CURRENT DATA THAT I HAVE AVAILABLE, AND THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE, UM, THE, UH, THE WEBSITE OF, UH, THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
UM, SO NOW, SEE, SO IF WE LOOK AT THE, AT THE DATA WITH THE, UM, FOR THE EPICENTER, RIGHT? THE, UM, WHICH I'M TRYING TO PULL UP HERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THIS EVER CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I SPEAK FOR YOU ON THIS COMMISSION, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UM, FOR THE ELDER POPULATION, RIGHT? AND JUST ALONE FROM, IN, IN THOSE YEARS FROM, UH, 20, UH, 2016 TO 2022, UH, THERE WAS 12 INDIVIDUALS THAT COMPLETED, UH, SUICIDE THAT WERE, UH, THE AGE OF 64.
UM, UH, 16 OF THOSE WERE THE AGE OF 68.
UH, 15 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE 70 YEARS OLD, RIGHT? 71 YEARS OF AGE.
WE HAVE 12, 12 INDIVIDUALS AT THAT, AT THAT AGE THAT COMPLETED SUICIDE.
UM, 17 OF THOSE WERE 72 YEARS OF AGE.
UM, AND THE OLDEST THAT WE HAVE IS 85, AND WE HAVE 11 PEOPLE, ELDER, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS THAT, YOU KNOW, COMPLETED SUICIDE IN, IN THAT TIME PERIOD.
SO, 11, RIGHT? SO THE, SO WHAT I DO WITH THIS DATA, RIGHT, IS WE, UM, WE KIND OF, WE KIND OF LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON AS FAR AS LIKE, UM, WHAT ARE, LIKE THE, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO KIND OF PREVENT SUICIDE, RIGHT? WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE IDENTIFY THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHICS, RIGHT? SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GET OLDER, RIGHT? SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE THOSE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
SO INCREASING, YOU KNOW, YOUR ENGAGEMENT, YOUR SOCIAL ACTIVITY WITH OTHERS IS A, A FACTOR THAT CAN HELP REDUCE SUICIDE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
MOST RECENTLY, I HAVE ONE OF THE COALITIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, AND, UH, THEY ARE THE WEST COAST VETERAN ADVOCATES AND, UM, IN THEIR PASSION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION, RIGHT? THEY TOOK A DIFFERENT SPIN ON IT, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY PARTNER WITH THE, WITH THE LOCAL VF, UH, BMWS OR AMERICAN LEGIONS, WHICHEVER ONE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REACH OUT TO IN, IN, IN THAT AREA.
AND THEY GO TO, UH, SENIOR HOMES, YOU KNOW, AND PUT, YOU KNOW, GET TOGETHERS FOR THOSE VETERANS OR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BRING THEM, YOU KNOW, UM, LUNCH AND, YOU KNOW, ENTERTAINMENT, DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? JUST TO GET THEM, YOU KNOW, TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE ARE THOSE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT, IN, IN MY, IN MY CAPACITY THAT I HELP ORGANIZATIONS DO.
SO ESSENTIALLY, MY ROLE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY IS TO BE KIND OF LIKE AN ADVISOR TO THESE AGENCIES, RIGHT? WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION RELATED, RIGHT? EVEN IF, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE, SOME OF THEM FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THE RECENTLY TRANSITION VETERANS WHO ARE COMING OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE AND STRAIGHT INTO LIKE, ACADEMIA, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THOSE COALITIONS AND THEY TARGET THAT POPULATION WHERE WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COALITIONS LIKE THE WESTWOOD VETERANS ADVOCATE WHO TARGET, YOU KNOW, THE OLDER POPULATION, RIGHT? 'CAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE, THE, THE, THE DATA TELLS US THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE VETERANS, YOU KNOW, UM, WHO COULD, WHO COULD DO DEATH BY SUICIDE.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY LEAVE, BUT THEY DO LEAVE A SUICIDE NOTE, RIGHT? IN AND THROUGH LA COUNTY, WE DO WHAT'S CALLED THE BSRT.
SO THE VETERAN SUICIDE, UH, RATE, UH, MORTALITY REVIEWS, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'RE PREVALENT TO THAT INFORMATION, RIGHT? UH, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, WE HAD A GENTLEMAN WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS 81 YEARS OLD, COMPLETED SUICIDE.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS DIAGNOSED, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, WITH SOME, UH, HE WAS TERMINALLY ILL DIAGNOSED.
YOU KNOW, FOR HIM THAT WAS HIS BEST, YOU KNOW, WAY OUT.
HE WAS LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DRAIN MY SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO, TO, TO FIGHT THIS OFF.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HE EXPRESSED IN HIS LETTER THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF SOCIAL CONNECTION TO OTHERS.
SO THEN WE, WE DO THINGS LIKE THIS.
WE TAKE THIS DATA, WE, WE COMPOSITE TOGETHER, AND WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM, RIGHT? SO THEN AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? THEN, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF GUIDE THEM IN THAT SITUATION.
AND, UM, SOMETHING THAT ANY ORGANIZATION CAN DO, RIGHT? WE, WE ASK THAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HAVE YOU OR A LOVED ONE EVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY? AND BECAUSE AGAIN, LOCALLY, THE LONG BEACH VA HAS A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT CAN TAKE CARE, YOU KNOW, OF THE AGING POPULATION, RIGHT? SO, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, INCOME BECOMES, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT HARDER,
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YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU'RE, YOU'RE OLDER, YOU'RE NOT ESTABLISHED, OR YOU DON'T HAVE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR RETIREMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND YOU USUALLY DOESN'T CUT IT FOR MOST PEOPLE, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE HUD BADGE, WHICH THE VETERAN MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR, RIGHT? UM, AND YOU NEVER, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT IF A, IF A, IF, IF YOU'RE ENGAGING WITH AN, UM, UM, OLDER ADULT, IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT.IF THEY DON'T, THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
SO THEN WE ASK THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COALITION IS JUST TO ASK THE QUESTION, HAVE YOU OR A LOVED ONE EVER SERVED? AND IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE, IF THEY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS VETERANS, YOU KNOW, THEN, UM, OKAY, THEN LET'S GET YOU PLUGGED INTO THE VA TO SEE WHAT PROTECTIVE BARRIERS WE CAN PUT AROUND YOU TO TRY TO TRY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT, RIGHT? SO THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING LIFE PUT, BASH IS LIKE ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, CURE ALL THINGS, RIGHT? BUT IT IS A, IT IS A GOOD PROGRAM TO HELP, YOU KNOW, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STRUGGLING, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, INCOME BECOMES ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S, THAT'S HARD, RIGHT? BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE ON FIXED INCOME, RIGHT? SO THEN WE LOOK AT THE SERVICE CONNECTION, LIKE, WELL, IF YOU'RE A VETERAN, LIKE WHAT DO YOU DO THROUGHOUT YOUR SERVICE THAT YOU MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA MONEY FROM THE VA? SO THEN WE CONNECT THEM TO LIKE THE VSOS AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT GENUINELY PUT A, A GOOD EFFORT INTO COMPLETING THESE PACKETS, SUBMIT THE INFORMATION TO THE VA, UM, OFFICE, RIGHT? AND I ALWAYS TELL VETERANS, RIGHT? LIKE, IT'S NOT MY MONEY, SO GO AHEAD AND PUT IN FOR IT AND LET THE VA SOMEWHERE ELSE IT TELL, YOU KNOW, BUT MY JOB IS TO KIND OF GET YOU GOING AS FAR AS LIKE, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DO, YOU, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THIS, SO LET'S DO THAT, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, SO THEN WE, WE LOOK AGAIN, WE LOOK, WE LOOK AT, WE LOOK AT THE TARGET POPULATION, RIGHT? SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE COALITION FOR, OR THE COLLABORATE FOR, YOU KNOW, ELDER, UH, ADULTS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S MY PRESENTATION AS FAR AS LIKE, WHAT, WHAT I DO IN THE COMMUNITY TO IMPACT THE LIFE OF, UM, OLDER AMERICANS.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, HEY, GET, GET, SEEING IF THEY'RE VETERANS SEEING WHAT PROGRAMS THEY MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE THROUGH THE VA, YOU KNOW, THERE'S HUD BASH, THERE'S CAREGIVER, UH, SUPPORT SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM WHO MIGHT BE, NEED BE IN NEED OF LIKE SOME PROSTHETICS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT THROUGH ORTHO, UM, GETTING 'EM CONNECTED TO SPINAL CORD INJURY, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SOMETHING MORE, UM, AT RISK, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, EVEN THE VAS, UH, TO A DEGREE OFFERS TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE TO AND FROM THEIR APPOINTMENTS, RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, LIKE, UM, WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN'T IDENTIFY THEM, AND THEN WE, WE, ME BY MYSELF, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LARGE AREA AND I CAN'T REALLY ENGAGE WITH EVERYBODY.
SO THAT'S WHY I NETWORK WITH YOU GUYS IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP ME REACH, YOU KNOW, THOSE VETERANS, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE OLDER, UM, THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NEED THESE SERVICES.
AND WE DON'T SOLELY FOCUS ON VETERANS, RIGHT? THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE VETERAN THAT IT'S AT RISK, RIGHT? IT'S THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL.
SO THEN, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO CONNECT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VA OR THE, THE, THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF VETERANS TO THOSE RESOURCES.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, UM, A SPOUSE WHO'S TAKING CARE OF A VETERAN AND YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET PAID FOR BEING THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER THROUGH THE CAREGIVER SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO THERE'S THESE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS MIGHT NOT KNOW WHO ARE VETERANS.
AND, UM, MY JOB IS TO KIND OF SPREAD THE WORD HELP, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO PUT THESE EVENTS, YOU KNOW, JUST SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, REDUCE, YOU KNOW, VETERAN SUICIDE, RIGHT? BUT, AND, AND PART OF THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS ALSO HELPING THEM, YOU KNOW, CONNECT TO THE, TO THE PROPER MEANS TO, TO GET THOSE THINGS ACCOMPLISHED.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO DO THE SERVICE CONNECTION CLAIM WHO, UM, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO THAT WE'LL TAKE THE TIMES, YOU KNOW, COLLECT ALL THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I DO ON MY END, RIGHT? IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, SOMETIMES WE MEET SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE A VETERAN, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I DON'T HAVE A DV TWO 14.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE VA UNDERSTOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES KIND OF IS A LONG PROCESS, RIGHT? SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET THE MAIL BACK.
IT TAKES TWO, THREE WEEKS AND YOU NEED THE, THE HELP NOW.
SO SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE ALLOWED US TO DO, SOME OF US HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, THE, THE, THE NATIONAL DATABASE WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE A, A PERSON'S INFORMATION, PLUG IT IN, YOU KNOW, BRANCH OF SERVICE, UH, DATE OF BIRTH, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, AND WITHIN HOURS, LIKE I GET A REPORT BACK WHETHER, YOU KNOW, HEY, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS, ON THIS PERSON'S, YOU KNOW, MILITARY STATUS, YOU KNOW, HERE YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT AND GIVE IT OUT TO THEM, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE REALLY ARE EXPEDITING A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.
AND, UM, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE FULLY, YOU KNOW, AMAZING AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING RIGHT.
IT'S GONNA BE A, A FAST TURNAROUND, RIGHT? BUT I MEAN, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THE EFFORTS TO, TO, TO GET BETTER AT IT.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT, YOU KNOW, THOSE MORE AT RISK, YOU KNOW, WITH THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD HELP 'EM IN, IN THIS STAGE OF THEIR LIFE.
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THANK YOU.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ALEX? I DO.
GLAD YOU, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK WITH YOU TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE? UH, SO FOR ME AND MYSELF, IT'S JUST, I, I'M THE ONLY PERSON ON MY TEAM.
BUT, UM, I WORK WITH A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SO, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD, LIKE OF US VETS, RIGHT? AND THEY HAVE, THEY COMPONENT IN ORANGE COUNTY, THEY HAVE A COMPONENT IN, UM, LONG BEACH.
AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE TECHNICALLY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU GUYS ARE CONSIDERED LIKE LA COUNTY, RIGHT? LIKE A SUBSECTION OF LA COUNTY? YES.
RIGHT? SO THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT DO THESE THINGS THROUGH THE VA.
UH, THERE IS THE, UM, THERE IS ORGAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, I GUESS LIKE LITTLE SUBGROUPS THAT FORM AT THE VA THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PURPOSE, AND THEY GO AND LIKE, THEY BECOME ADVOCATES FOR OTHER VETERANS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT'S USUALLY COMPOSED OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, SENIORS AND STUFF.
AND, UM, THEY GET TOGETHER AT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE A MONTH TO MEET AT, AT, AT, AT LONG, AT THE MEDICAL CENTER AND KIND OF BE LIKE, HEY, LIKE, WE WANT TO ADDRESS X, Y, AND Z.
RIGHT? SO THEN, I MEAN, AS FAR AS LIKE DOING THE WORK AND PUTTING THE DATA AND DOING THIS STUFF, IT'S JUST MYSELF, RIGHT? BUT I MEAN, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COALITION PARTNERS, AND THERE'S LIKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 70 A HUNDRED OF US DOING THE WORK, AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, WHEELCHAIRS, UM, THAT YOU PROVIDE WHEELCHAIRS FOR VETS.
SO WE ARE THOSE MOTORIZED SCOOTERS OR MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIRS, OR JUST THE STANDARD WHEELCHAIR.
SO THOSE, IT IS JUST, IT JUST DEPENDENT ON WHAT YOUR OWN, IF WE CONNECT YOU TO ORTHO, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE FIRST PROCESS.
I MESS MYSELF, DON'T GIVE UP THESE THINGS, RIGHT? BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, GETTING THE VETERAN CONNECTED TO ORTHO AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PLUGGING THAT IN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING THE TRANSPORTATION IF THEY NEED IT, RIGHT? SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, COVER THAT VETERAN LOOK, LOOK, LOOK OUT FOR THAT, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S ALSO A BARRIER AS YOU GET OLDER, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, GETTING TO AND FROM APPOINTMENTS.
SO THEN, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING TO THAT, WE TALK TO THEIR ORTHO DOCTOR, AND THEN IT'S, IT'S UP TO THEM AND THE VA TO BE LIKE, OKAY, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, IS, UM, IS, IS APPLICABLE FOR THIS VETERAN.
LIKE, I'LL USE MYSELF AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT? LIKE, PART OF MY MILITARY SERVICE, MY SERVICE CONNECT TO DISABILITIES, INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, LIMIT LIMITATIONS TO MY LOWER EXTREMITIES, SO LIKE MY KNEES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO CURRENTLY BECAUSE OF MY AGE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M STILL ABLE TO WALK TO A DEGREE, UM, I GET KNEE BRACES FROM THE VA, RIGHT? I GET LIKE THE LITTLE, THE, THE DON JOY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ACL BRACES, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I GET CURRENTLY, RIGHT? BUT AS I TRANSITION, YOU KNOW, AND I GET OLDER, RIGHT? IF, IF, IF I MIGHT BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING AS A WHEELCHAIR IF IT COMES TO THAT WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, MY LOWER BODY JUST KIND OF DOESN'T FUNCTION AS WELL AS IT SHOULD ANYMORE, RIGHT? SO THEN AGAIN, THAT'S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE VETERAN AND THE DOCTOR.
BUT WE, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE THE VETERAN FEELS SUPPORTED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
DOES, DOES ANYONE ELSE? GO AHEAD.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, ALEX.
I, I HAVE, I, I MISSED IT AT THE BEGINNING.
NOW, DO YOU WORK AT THE LONG BEACH VA OR LA COUNTY? I'M, I'M NOT SURE WHERE, WHERE YOU WORK AND WHO YOU REPRESENT EXACTLY FOR THE VA.
SO FOR THE VA, I REPRESENT THE, UH, WE ARE, UM, I'M ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE, UH, I WOULD SAY AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
BUT THERE'S, SO, SO CURRENTLY THERE'S, THERE IS, UH, THREE OF US IN THAT, THAT, THAT WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE HOSPITAL.
SO, UM, I WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE LONG BEACH HOSPITAL.
UM, MY COUNTERPART, WHO IS, UM, ALEXANDRA ROBINSON NORRIS, SHE WORKS WITH, UH, THE GREATER LOS ANGELES VA.
AND THEN, UH, BRIANNA GREEN, SHE WORKS WITH, UM, LOMA LINDA VA.
SO THEN EACH OF US, THOSE ARE THE MAIN HOSPITALS WHO WITHIN IN OUR CATCHMENT AREAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LITTLE, UH, OUTPATIENT CLINICS, RIGHT? THE C BOX, AND WE ENGAGE WITH THOSE TWO REGULAR, PRIMARILY I'M ASSIGNED TO SERVICE THE, THE, UH, THE LONG BEACH VA CATCHMENT AREA, WHICH INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, SOME PARTS OF LIKE, UM, UP TO LIKE SANTA FE SPRINGS, UM, DOWNING THOSE AREAS, RIGHT WHERE THE VETERAN PICO, WHERE THE VETERANS ARE STILL GETTING SERVICED LONG BEACH, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE VETERANS IN THIS, IN THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR CARE AT THE LONG BEACH VA MEDICAL CENTER.
UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE A VACANT POSITION IN, UM, IN SAN DIEGO.
AND THAT PERSON WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, WORKING WITH THE, THE VA, UM, THE SAN DIEGO VA MEDICAL CENTER AND SERVICING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SAN DIEGO CATCHMENT AREA, WHICH EXTENDS FROM LIKE, UM, CAMP PENDLETON NORTH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LIKE CHULA VISTA, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE WORK FOR THE VA.
WE JUST WORK AT, I WOULD SAY, TO MAKE IT EASIER JUST FOR UNDERSTANDING A PURPOSE OF UNDERSTANDING, AND AS I WOULD SAY, LIKE THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
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THANK YOU FOR THAT.SO, UM, FOLLOW UP ON, UM, COMMISSIONER GIBBS'S, UM, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN QUESTION.
UM, SO THERE'S YOU FOR LONG BEACH THEN, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON HER QUESTION IS, IS THAT ENOUGH FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AND THE GREATER LONG BEACH LA AREA? I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY SERIOUS TOPIC THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN.
AND SO, I MEAN, MY, MY INSTINCTS WERE THE SAME AS THAT OH, MY ONE PERSON FOR THE, THIS REGION, UM, TO PREVENT SUICIDES OF VETERANS.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH? WELL, AND THE WAY THAT WE WORK IT, IT'S, UM, WE, WE, WE CALL THE FULL PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL, RIGHT? WE'RE, UH, MYSELF, I, I, PRIOR TO THIS ROLE, I WAS A PEER SPECIALIST WITH LONG HVA, RIGHT? SO THEN, UM, I HAVE, UM, THAT, THAT DIRECT PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE.
SO I, I CONDUCT MY, MY ROLE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THAT DIRECT PATIENT CARE SO THAT I'M BOOTS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDER, RIGHT? WHEN TECHNICALLY THIS ROLE THAT I'M IN IS A HUNDRED PERCENT ADMINISTRATIVE, RIGHT? UM, BUT THERE'S NO ONE THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SIT BEHIND A COMPUTER ALL DAY.
UM, BUT EACH HOSPITAL HAS A SUICIDE PREVENTION TEAM MADE UP OF THREE OR FOUR SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATORS, USUALLY A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME SOCIAL WORKERS THAT COULD HELP OUT ON THEIR CAPACITY.
SO WHILE THEY DO MORE OF THE CLINICAL ASPECT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, DIAGNOSING, TREATING, YOU KNOW, CREATING, UM, SAFETY PLANS, ET CETERA, YOU KNOW, MY ROLE IS MORE IN THE MORE TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE YOURSELVES AND LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOU GUYS MAKE, MAKE YOU ALL AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR EFFORTS.
AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THE, IF SOMEONE FROM THE SUICIDE PREVENTION TEAM COULDN'T DO THAT RIGHT, THEN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GO AHEAD AND STEP IN AND ASSIST, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS FOR PROVIDERS YOURSELF.
LIKE WE DO, UM, EVERY TUESDAY, EVERY SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE, AT THE END, AND I CAN SEND YOU GUYS THIS INFORMATION, UM, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE SAFE TRAINING.
SO, UM, WE TEACH PEOPLE ON HOW TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THE SIGNS OF SUICIDE, ASK THE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, VALIDATE THAT, THAT VETERAN'S EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU KNOW, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW TO GO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING THAT.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A HEAVY THING TO ASK SOMEONE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND IT SOMETHING THAT I DO WHEN I GIVE OUT THE TRAININGS, YOU KNOW, UM, I ALWAYS BRING UP THE EXAMPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE CLOSE FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, RIGHT? AND USUALLY WHEN YOU, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING RIGHT, YOU CHECK ON EACH OTHER, RIGHT? AND USUALLY HOW DO YOU DO IT? IF YOU ASK LIKE, HEY, LIKE, ARE YOU GOOD? ARE YOU OKAY? RIGHT.
WHICH THAT'S, THAT, THAT PRODUCES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LINE OF, OF ANSWERING, UM, WHEN RATHER TO BEING ASKED DIRECTLY, LIKE, HEY, LIKE, ARE YOU THINKING I'M KILLING YOURSELF? RIGHT? AND WE GET THE PERSON COMFORTABLE IN ASKING THAT.
WE DO WALKS SCENARIO, WE DO TRAININGS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT IS A HEAVY QUESTION TO ASK, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT'S ANXIETY PRODUCING, BECAUSE NO ONE EVER REALLY EXPECTS SOMEONE TO GIVE A YES ANSWER, RIGHT? BUT PART OF THE TRAINING, WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO GIVE PEOPLE, WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT TAKE THE TRAINING COME OUT AND FEELING, YOU KNOW, COMFORTABLE AND STRONG AS FAR AS LIKE, UM, BEING ABLE TO, ON WHAT TO DO NEXT IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU LIKE, YOU KNOW, YES, ACTUALLY I AM, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, FEELING, YOU KNOW, SUICIDAL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE NO, EVERYBODY, WE CAN TRAIN PEOPLE TO ASK THE QUESTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS DREAD, LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE TO ASK IT, AND IT'S LIKE, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THAT YOU KNOW THAT YES.
BUT YOU REALLY WANT THEM TO SAY NO.
RIGHT? SO WE GET THEM COMFORTABLE.
IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THEY SAID YES.
WHAT'S NEXT? HOW DO WE GET THEM TO HELP OF YOU? YEAH.
SO AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THIS.
IT'S, IT'S, I'M MORE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, BUT I WILL, I WILL DO SOME CLINICAL STUFF.
UM, BUT IT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE VA AND, AND OURSELVES AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING MOST, MOST OF THE, UM, UH, CLINICAL ASPECTS OF IT.
AND THEN I KIND OF JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND EVEN THEN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WANT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET STARTED OR HOW TO GET STARTED, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S, UM, TEACHING ABOUT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, THE WEST COAST VETERANS ADVOCATE, I'LL BRING, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THAT, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOSTLY FOCUSED ON, ON SENIORS AND OLDER AMERICANS.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH, UM, TO, TO, TO, TO BRING THEM SOME FORM OF ASSISTANCE.
I'M LIKE, OKAY, SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN REGION, WHO'S ALSO TRYING TO DO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING
[00:25:01]
SIMILAR.AND THEN AGAIN, WE GO TO THESE SENIOR HOMES, YOU KNOW, BE LIKE, HEY, LIKE, DO YOU, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SENIORS? AND USUALLY IT'S MYSELF DOING LIKE, THE ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HEY, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SENIORS? DO YOU GUYS MIND IF WE COME DOWN, YOU KNOW, PUT AN EVENT FOR THEM TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, GET THEM OUT OF THE ROOMS, YOU KNOW, GET THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL KEEP, YOU KNOW, GET THAT CAMARADERIE GOING.
LIKE WE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
RIGHT? AND WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, PLENTY OF SUCCESSFUL EVENTS LIKE THAT.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AND AT THAT TIME, IT'S NOT LIKE, WE'RE WE, WE, WE DON'T LIKE GO, HEY, LIKE, ARE YOU SUICIDAL? NO.
YOU KNOW, WE ENGAGE THEM, YOU KNOW, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, WE LET THEM KNOW I INTRODUCE MYSELF, WHAT I DO, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST ASK THEM, LET KNOW, LIKE, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE, FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
YOU KNOW, AND I TELL ALWAYS, I ALWAYS TELL 'EM THEY CAN CALL ME, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO A BARRIER.
WE UNDERSTAND TECHNOLOGY ALSO A BARRIER, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY, UM, WE, WE TRY TO BE VERY MINDFUL AS FAR AS ASSISTANCE THAT WE PROVIDE AND HOW WE PROVIDE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BARRIERS TO GETTING THAT ASSISTANCE.
SO PART OF WHAT MY ROLE IS, UM, ON, ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE IS KIND OF IDENTIFYING WITH BARRIERS, WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO, TO KIND OF BRING THOSE BARRIERS DOWN.
ALEX, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THAT WAS A VERY GOOD POLITICAL ANSWER.
I, I APPLAUD ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I, I BELIEVE THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU ALONE IS ENOUGH RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH, YOU KNOW, THE WELFARE AND WELLBEING OF POTENTIALLY SUICIDAL VETERANS IN OUR REGION? WELL, AGAIN, IS THAT ENOUGH? I MEAN, I, I KNOW ABOUT ALL THOSE PARTNERS AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU HAVE DIRECT OUTREACH.
THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENTATION, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO IS THAT GOOD? I MEAN, WELL, IT, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S THAT DEFINITIVE ANSWER, BUT I THINK IT, IF IT'S ENOUGH, RIGHT? I, I MEAN, I, BECAUSE IN THEORY, LIKE I'M NOT DOING THE WORK BY MYSELF, RIGHT? IT, IT TAKES ALL OF US TO, TO GET ENGAGED AND TO, TO DO SOMETHING, RIGHT? AND AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY THERE IS, UM, SEVEN ACTIVE COALITIONS THROUGHOUT THE C AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, EACH COALITION, YOU KNOW, HAS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 15 MEMBERS, RIGHT? SO THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY KIND OF, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE LIKE, WHO'S ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR AREA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I HELP OUT WHERE I CAN, YOU KNOW, HOW I CAN.
SO I MEAN, IS IT, IS IT A LOT FOR ONE PERSON TO DO? YEAH.
LIKE IT, I, I WILL TELL YOU, LIKE, I, I WORK, YOU KNOW, TILL THE, FROM THE SUN RISING TO THE SUN SETTING, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A NEVER, IT'S NEVER ENDING.
SO, UM, I DO, I DO WORK A LOT IN THIS FIELD, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST MYSELF DOING THE WORK WHERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, I PARTNER WITH THESE, THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO, YOU KNOW, ALSO HELP ME WITH THE WORK.
SO IT'S, IT'S, I MEAN, IS A STANDALONE, IS IT, IS IT, IS IT ONE PERSON ANOTHER? NO.
BUT AM I DOING THE WORK ALONE? I'M, I'M NOT DOING THE WORK ALONE.
I HAVE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS, YOU KNOW THAT OUT THERE, YOU DOING THE WORK.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMISSION ON AGING? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU SAY? WELL, I'M HERE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SENIOR OR VETERAN SUICIDE.
SO YOU MUST LEAVE ORGANIZATIONS WITH A, A MAIN MESSAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO BE ENGAGED, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, AND AGAIN, IN MY ROLE, IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? WHERE LIKE, I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, SO BECAUSE I'M NOT TOO FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THIS COALITION OR WITH THIS COLLABORATIVE, RIGHT? UM, SO I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN, I WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND SEE HOW YOU FUNCTION, RIGHT? UM, MR. SMITH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING THIS, BUT OUTSIDE OF THIS, IS THERE SOME, IS THERE, DO YOU SERVE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY IN ANOTHER CAPACITY? ME? YEAH.
WITH THE ORGANIZATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? A COUPLE, YES.
BUT, UH, YOU, SO THAT, BUT BEING RETIRED, YOU'RE NOT RETIRED, I CAN JUST TELL YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR HAT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEDICATE, UM, 50, 60 HOURS A WEEK TO A JOB.
I MEAN, YOU JUST FREE YOURSELF UP BY 50 HOURS A WEEK, CORRECT? NO, YEAH, OF COURSE.
DID, UH, SECOND, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS ANY QUESTION? I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER HINES DID, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
MY DAD SERVED AS USMC FOR 37 YEARS.
BUT, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH WITH THE VETERANS AND US VETS, UM, I WAS TOLD SOME STARTLING STATISTIC A LONG TIME
[00:30:01]
AGO, RIGHT BEFORE COVID ACTUALLY, THAT THERE WAS 2021 SUICIDES A DAY FROM VETERANS NATIONWIDE.AND, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, AND IT PROBABLY HASN'T HAD ANY RECENT DATA ABOUT IT, BUT POST COVID WITH ISOLATION, AND THE UNIDENTIFIED TERM FOR VETERANS IS THEY DON'T HAVE PTSD.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN THEIR MINDS.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PTSD, I DON'T HAVE IT.
I DID WHAT MY CO TOLD ME TO DO.
SO THEY DON'T SEE THE EFFECTS OF IT.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S DIFFICULT TO TREAT SOMETHING YOU SAY YOU DON'T HAVE.
SO HOW HAVE WE REDEFINED IT, RESTRUCTURED IT, OR WHATEVER, SO THAT THEY GET THE HELP THEY NEED WITHOUT TELLING THEM THEY'RE GETTING HELP WITH PTSD WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SAY THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
SO, HAS THERE BEEN SOME NEW STUDY AS TO HOW WE CAN REACH OUT TO VETERANS? AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A COALITION.
CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS, CALL YOUR GUY NEXT DOOR, CALL THE GUY ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW, THAT MAN IS SITTING OVER THERE, HIS WIFE PASSED AWAY.
WE DON'T NEED A COALITION TO DO THAT.
IF WE ALL JUST DID OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THING, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE LESS COMPLETED SUICIDES, BECAUSE I THINK THE BIGGER NUMBER IS ATTEMPTED.
THAT PROBABLY IS A NUMBER THAT'S REALLY LARGE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, IF WE ALL JUST DID OUR PART, NOT JUST FOR VETS, JUST FOR EACH OTHER, WE JUST LIVING IN THE WORLD TOGETHER, LET'S JUST CHECK ON ONE ANOTHER.
AND WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS YOU THE QUESTION THAT THEY DO ASK YOU OFTEN IN A SUICIDE PREVENTION, ARE YOU THINKING OF HURTING YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S SUICIDE HOMICIDE, RIGHT? OR DOUBLE HOMICIDE.
SO IF YOU ACTUALLY, UM, GO OUT INTO THE FIELD LIKE WHERE YOU ARE, UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY RECENT RESEARCH AS TO HOW WE ADDRESS THE PTSD, NOT PTSD DIALOGUE WITH VETS WHO ACTUALLY ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE OKAY? SO I'M NOT SURE IF, LIKE IT'S, IF IT'S FORMAL RESEARCH, RIGHT? BUT I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE, UM, WHAT HELPS OUT IS, IS PROVIDING EDUCATION AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PTSD? SO PTSD IS ACTUALLY, LIKE, IT'S MORE LIKE AN UMBRELLA TERM, RIGHT? WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, THOSE ARE, THOSE SYMPTOMS FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF PTSD, RIGHT? WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, AS A PEER SPECIALIST, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO VETERANS, RIGHT? I WOULD, UM, I WOULD ENGAGE THEM, BE LIKE, HEY, LIKE, ARE YOU EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, AND THIS? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WELL, ACTUALLY, TECHNICALLY SIR, THAT, OR MA'AM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DEPRESSION, THAT'S ANXIETY WORKING IN, LIKE, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SYMPTOMS OF PTS, D YOU KNOW, PTSD, T YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON YOUR SYMPTOMS, RIGHT? UM, THEY CAN VARY, RIGHT? SO I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY HELPED US, RIGHT, IS, IS BREAKING DOWN THAT EDUCATION PIECE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, THAT, THAT WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON WITH, UM, THE, THE YOUNGER POPULATION OF VETERANS FOR TRANSITIONING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE LET'S FACE IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE ANSWERS TO THE WORLD.
THERE'S NOBODY, YOU KNOW, NOBODY TO TELL US WRONG.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY DAD ALWAYS TOLD ME.
HE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I WASN'T REBELLIOUS, BUT I WASN'T, I I, I FELT LIKE I HAD A, A KNOW IT ALL ATTITUDE, RIGHT? HE'S LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE CURSE OF BEING YOUNG, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE FEAR AND YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE GONNA LEARN AS YOU GO.
SO TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE YOUNGER VETERANS, WE DO TRY TO EDUCATE THEM MORE ON, ON, ON, YOU KNOW, HEY, LIKE, CHECK IT OUT.
THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT PTSD LOOKS LIKE.
IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THIS, LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE PTSD TO A DEGREE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THEM TO, TO BE, UM, TO, TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE FULLY DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD T BUT IF THOSE SYMPTOMS ARE THERE, GO TALK TO SOMEBODY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY GET THE BEST OF YOU, RIGHT? SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, JUST ANXIETY, RIGHT? WHEN, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING WITH THOSE, LIKE THOSE, THAT CAN BE A, A, A SYMPTOM OF PTSD.
SO, YOU KNOW, PTSD TS IS MORE LIKE AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT THE CLINICIANS USE, YOU KNOW, TO IDENTIFY THE SYMPTOMS, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, CRYING, SMELLS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? UM, SO AGAIN, WE, WE KIND OF TEACH THEM THAT, WE TEACH EM, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO TEACH COPING MECHANISMS, RIGHT? AND, AND LET, AND KIND OF REDUCE THE STIGMA AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY IT'S OKAY TO GO GET THE HELP.
'CAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I, I USE MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE ALL THE TIME, AS A PEER SPECIALIST, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE YOUR STORY AND BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, RIGHT? SO WHEN I WAS TRANSITIONING OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I WENT FROM BEING, YOU KNOW, THE SERGEANT OF GREENS TO, YOU KNOW, BEING IN A CLASSROOM, YOU KNOW, AT A JUNIOR COLLEGE IN 20 DAYS, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT SHOCK WAS LIKE, HEY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK.
I, I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS IN MY LIFETIME.
LIKE NOW I'M IN THIS CLASS WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN REMEDIAL ENGLISH, REMEDIAL MATH, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT ARE 18, 19
LIKE TECHNICALLY AGE GROUP WISE, I WAS 22, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, 8, 18, 19,
[00:35:01]
RIGHT? AND YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU LOOK AT IT FOUR YEARS.BUT THOSE FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, I, I COULDN'T CONNECT TO THEM, RIGHT? I WAS LIKE, WHAT AM I DOING? SO THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TAKE THAT, THAT CONCEPT, AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GREEN.
LIKE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE? WHAT AM I, WHAT AM I FEELING LIKE THIS? LIKE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, YOU KNOW, WELL, WHAT DID WE USED TO DO? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OH, LET'S DRINK, LET'S DO THAT.
SO THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT, GO, LIKE, AGAIN, SOME, AN ISSUE, A REASON WHY VETERANS HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING SERVICE CONNECTED IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN THE MILITARY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ACTIVE DUTY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FORWARD EMPLOYED, WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION IS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GO TO SICK CALL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T DO THOSE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE TOUGHEST, YOU'RE THE STRONGEST.
SO THEN WE COME OUT AND WE HAVE THAT SAME MENTALITY, AND IT'S LIKE, NOW WE'RE REALLY STRUGGLING, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GO THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF IT IS BREAKING DOWN THAT EDUCATION PIECE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK LIKE, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF I GO, YOU KNOW, GET DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD, THEN I'M NOT GONNA HAVE A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE GENERAL TRANSITIONS A LOT OF VETERANS LOOK INTO WHEN THEY FIRST GET OUT.
YOU KNOW, GOING TO SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SERVICE LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S LIKE, LISTEN, LIKE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO STOP YOU.
YOU KNOW, AND TEACH HIM THAT HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN STILL ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUR CONCEALED CARRY, YOU KNOW, UH, LICENSE.
YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT, UM, IT, UH, UH, PTSD, TS D DIAGNOSIS DOESN'T HINDER YOU, RIGHT? AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE TO, TO CONTROL IT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT HARMED TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS, YOU'RE STABLE TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THOSE DUTIES AND GO FOR IT, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING IS CHANGING THE EDUCATION, UM, TO THE YOUNGER VETERANS, TO ALL THE VETERANS, BUT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON YOUNG ONES BECAUSE WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE THE, THE HARDEST TO GET THROUGH AS FAR AS LIKE, IT'S OKAY TO GO AND GO GET HELP, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT WE, WE ARE CHANGING THAT, THAT DYNAMIC WHERE WE'RE TEACHING EVERYBODY THAT IT'S OKAY TO GO GET THE HELP THAT YOU NEED.
UM, SO JUST EDUCATION IS, IS PROBABLY LIKE THE, THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, THING THAT'S GONNA HELP US TO KNOW, CONNECT TO THE POPULATIONS.
SO I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME TODAY.
UM, IS THERE, YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR ALEX, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE OTHER TOPICS TODAY.
OKAY? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
MICHELLE, CAN I MAKE AN OBSERVATION FROM OUT HERE OR NOT? YES.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY I'M A VETERAN ALSO.
BUT WOULD THIS, WOULD THE, UH, ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING, YOU JUST DO RECOMMENDATIONS.
TAKE A RECOMMENDATION, GET IT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, GET IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, GET IT TO THE AGING THING, GET IT TO, UH, THE OTHER, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND TRY TO HAVE, UM, CLASSES OR, OR, OR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE DIFFERENT SENIOR CENTERS AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ATTEND.
OR IF THEY, TO GO TO THE CERTAIN SUICIDAL THING, THEY'RE INCLINED TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE AND GET DIFFERENT GROUPS TO HELP.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, ALEX.
SO I AM LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION REGARDING VETERANS AFFAIRS, UH, SUICIDE PREVENTION FROM ALEX TRUJILLO.
AND LET'S SEE, WE ALREADY HAD PUBLIC COMMENT.
DOES ANY, ANYONE, IS THERE ANY, UH, COMMISSION DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF RECEIVING AND FILING ALEX'S REPORT.
UH, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON THE NEW LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
SO, UM, WE NEED A MOTION AND THEN A SECOND MOTION, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THE SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
WELL, WE WILL NOT BE DISCUSSING THE NEW LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THE LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS? SO THERE WAS A SECOND? YES.
AS COMMISSION, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS THE LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS THAT OCCURRED THE OTHER WEEK THAT WE WENT TO? I THOUGHT WE WERE, I MEAN, I, IT JUST COULD BE ME, BUT I
[00:40:01]
THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY A ALLEN THING AND SINCE HE'S NOT HERE, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I WAS THINKING MAYBE WE SHOULD WAIT TABLE UNTIL HE'S HERE.BECAUSE I KNOW HE WAS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
NO, THIS IS, UM, DISCUSSION FOR MEETINGS, LIKE IF YOU ATTENDED THE MEETINGS.
OH, LIKE THAT SORT OF, NOT ALLEN.
YOU KNOW WHO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT YOU WAS LAST MONTH.
BECAUSE YEAH, WE HAD ALL EXPRESSED, UM, IN INTEREST OR FRUSTRATION THAT WE HADN'T BEEN MORE INVOLVED IN THE SENIOR CENTER IN THE, UH, IN THE MOVEMENT OF THE NEW SENIOR CENTER.
WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH IT? SO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS ABOUT SIX MEETINGS THAT WE WERE ALL INVITED TO.
SO I KIND OF WANTED TO GET EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK OF WHAT THEY, UH, EXPERIENCED AT THEIR MEETING.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND START, UH, TURNS OUT THAT THE REASON THAT WE AREN'T MOVING AT ALL IS BECAUSE THIS BUILDING IS TOO OLD AND IT'S HAVING TOO MANY MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO MAIN GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE, TOO MAINTAIN.
UM, THE OTHER SENIOR CENTERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN LONG BEACH WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE.
UM, IT IS GONNA TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS TO TRANSITION TO THE OTHER SENIOR CENTER, AND THIS CENTER WILL BE OPEN UNTIL THE OTHER ONE OPENS.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THIS ONE WILL CLOSE.
UH, THE SAME LEVEL OF CURRENT PROGRAMMING WILL BE THERE, AND THERE IS MORE PARKING THERE, AND THE SENIOR CENTER PORTION OF THAT WILL BE ON ALL ON THE FIRST FLOOR ONLY.
SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR ANY ELEVATORS.
UM, AND THEN, SO THEY DID HAVE THE SIX MEETINGS THE OTHER WEEK, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A MEETING THAT SHARES THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS THAT WERE TURNED IN AND THE COMMENTS AT THE MEETINGS.
THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER.
AND THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED, AND THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, WHAT HAVE, WHAT DID EVERYONE ELSE LEARN FROM THE MEETINGS THAT THEY WENT TO? OKAY.
WELL, WE ALL EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT WE HADN'T BEEN INVOLVED AND NOBODY WENT TO THE MEETINGS.
SO IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION, THEN WE CAN, UM, VOTE ON RECEIVING AND FILING THE UPDATE FOR THE SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
I THINK IT'S, I THINK NOW IT'S JUST VOTING.
NOW IT'S JUST VOTING, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, RECEIVING AND FILING THE, UH, THE REPORTS OF THE SENIOR CENTER MEETINGS.
AND IS, AND IS ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY.
AND NOW WE ARE GOING TO, UH, WE NEED A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE OR WE, WE DO, WE NEED THE REPORT FIRST FROM, UM, JASMINE'S SCRIPT WILL BE RECORDING.
SO JASMINE IS GOING TO GIVE US THE, UM, UPDATE THAT HEIDI WOULD NORMALLY GIVE US.
THE LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER HAS A VARIETY OF EVENTS.
OF EVENTS THIS MONTH ON OCTOBER 15TH, WITH THE GOODWILL OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THEY'LL BE HOSTING A JOB FAIR, A RECRUITMENT FAIR WITH INTERVIEWS ON SITE.
THERE WILL BE FIVE COMPANIES HERE, AND WE ARE TRYING TO SECURE SOME MORE INTERVIEWS WILL BE ON SITE FOR SENIORS ONLY.
UM, ON OCTOBER 22ND, WE'RE HOSTING A HOUSING WORKSHOP AND FOOD CLINIC.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, COLLABORATE WITH THE C-S-U-L-B NURSING PROGRAM AND TO OFFER HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLASSES EVERY WEDNESDAY.
IT'S GONNA BE EIGHT WEEKS, UH, EIGHT WEEK CLASSES, AND PROFESSOR ROSS NURSING STUDENTS WILL BE HERE TO CONDUCT THOSE SESSIONS.
UM, THE LONG BEACH NEW CENTER NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH, UM, AT THE FRONT DESK, UM, SO FAR, OH, WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING A VOTING POLL SITE, UM, OCTOBER 26TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 5TH.
IT'LL BE IN THE AUDITORIUM EVERY DAY, UM, FROM 9:00 AM TO 8:00 PM THANK YOU.
THE AUDITORIUM FOR THE VOTING.
WHERE IS THE FOOD BINDERS ON MONDAY? FRIDAY GOING TO BE PUT AND TO GIVE A PRE-NOTIFICATION TO THE PEOPLE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE HELD.
BECAUSE LAST YEAR IT WAS A MESS.
AND HELL, AND, AND, UH, EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THE, UM, FOOD FINDERS PROGRAM, IT WILL BE IN THE CAFE SIDE OF THE AUDITORIUM.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE MESSING WITH THE HA WITH THE MEAL PROGRAM LIKE YOU DID LAST YEAR? IT'LL ALL BE IN THE SAME AREA.
[00:45:01]
OKAY.AND THEY'LL BE, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE SENIORS WERE MISINFORMED, MISREPRESENTATION, AND IT WAS A SCREWY MESS.
WE'LL HAVE SIGNS POSTED NEXT YEAR.
SO NOW I NEED TO RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON OUR SENIOR, UH, PROGRAMMING FROM JASMINE.
WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT ALREADY.
DOES THE COMMISSION WISH TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT JA WHAT? ANYTHING JASMINE SAID? OKAY, THEN WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF A RECEIVING AND FILING THAT REPORT, SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? AND ANY ABSTENTIONS.
NOW I DO SEE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SENIOR SAFE HOME COMMITTEE.
UH, FOR THIS ONE, DID WE WANT TO TABLE IT TILL, UH, ALAN'S HERE OR DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT IT TODAY? WELL, I CAN SAY SOMETHING.
SO THEN IN THAT CASE, WE, UH, I'LL, HOW I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF A SENIOR SAFE HOME.
WE MAKE A SECOND MOTION, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
AND NOW WE HAVE, UH, NOW WE CAN DISCUSS THE SENIOR, THE, THE ESTABLISHING A SENIOR SAFE HOME COMMITTEE.
UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH, IT WENT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, AS YOU KNOW, AND, UH, THEY CAME BACK THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DOESN'T HAVE A, EITHER A SPACE OR MONEY.
SO WE THEN WENT TO THE COUNTY, JANICE HAN'S OFFICE MADE THE MOTION.
THEY WERE TO GET BACK TO US IN SEPTEMBER.
I'VE CALLED AND, UH, STAYED IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
THEY'RE STILL STUDYING WHETHER THEY HAVE SPACE OR, UH, MONEY TO PROVIDE THAT.
SO THE ANSWER IS AS OF NOW, NO INFORMATION.
THE QUESTION THOUGH IS, UH, ARE WE GOING TO FORM AN, UM, FORM A SENIOR SAFE HOME COMMITTEE? THAT WAS THE MOTION.
I WAS AT THE, UM, FIFTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON AGING, AND IT WAS, UH, CHAIRED BY THE STATE COMMISSIONER FOR AGING.
AND KAREN WAS THERE FROM THE GREAT PANTHER.
SHE GAVE AN UPDATE SAYING THAT THE COUNTY WITH, UH, JANICE HAN'S OFFICE IS, UM, STILL LOOKING FOR AND SUPPORTING THE SENIOR SAFE HOME, UM, INITIATIVE.
AND THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WERE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE LA COUNTY.
WERE NOW ALSO GOING TO JOIN THAT COALITION TO ASSIST WITH THE, UM, FORMATION OF THE SENIOR SAFE HOUSE.
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS LONG BEACH WHO THOUGHT OF IT, THEY WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE GET HOMAGE AND HAVE IT LOCATED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, EVEN THOUGH THE FUNDS AND THE SUPPORT AND THE RESOURCES MAY COME FROM THE STATE AND OR THE COUNTY.
BUT SHE DID, UH, KAREN DID GIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE GREAT PANTHERS ABOUT THE SENIOR SAFE HOUSE AND ALL OF THE COALITIONS THAT HAVE JOINED IN TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
AND SO SHE DID ANNOUNCE THAT ON FRIDAY SO THAT THE STATE IS INVOLVED NOW THE STATE COMMISSION ON AGING AND THE COUNTY, WHICH ARE GOING TO HELP US COME TOGETHER TO PROVIDE THIS SENIOR SAFE HOUSE.
BUT NOW IT'S GOING TO SEEM, IT LOOK LIKE WINGS AND IT'S GOING TO GROW AND WE GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE SUPPORT, BUT THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME BECAUSE THEY JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.
BUT BECAUSE WE BROUGHT IT UP AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY MONT AND HAVE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GONNA BE TREATED AS A DV UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION, BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING SENIORS TO KEEP THEM SAFE, THEY STILL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UM, I DON'T KNOW, RECOGNITION, WHATEVER, AND PUTTING IN CO-LOCATED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING FORMING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SENIOR SAFE HOME COMMITTEE WITHIN OUR COMMISSION? COULD I ASK WHAT THE SENIOR, IF WE DID FORM THIS COMMITTEE, WHAT WOULD BE THE HOPE THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD HAVE? THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE, UM, SENIOR SAFE HOME, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU SEE THE ROLE OF THIS COMMITTEE TO ADVOCATE FOR A FACILITY TO BE BUILT OR REMODELED THAT WOULD HOUSE SENIORS WHO ARE,
[00:50:01]
UH, INVOLVED WITH VIOLENCE OF ANY KIND? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR PHYSICAL VIOLENCE OR FINANCIAL VIOLENCE OR ANY, I THINK COMMISSIONER, UM, WHAT HAPPENED WAS AS WE DISSOLVED OUR COMMITTEES MM-HMM.UM, WELL, I THINK YOU COULD STILL, I MEAN YOU COULD STILL DO THE OTHER HOUSING THINGS, BUT YOU COULD STILL, UM, TALK WITH EACH OTHER AS LONG AS IT'S LESS THAN A LESS THAN THREE.
AS LONG AS YOU, YOU COULD, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE A COMMITTEE, YOU COULD STILL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT WORK.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS WHOLE THING WAS ABOUT, IS TO RECREATE THE, THE CONCEPT OF STAYING ON THAT AGENDA ITEM WITHIN THAT, WHAT WAS THE OLD HOUSING? SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A COMMITTEE.
YOU COULD STILL TALK ABOUT THAT STUFF.
AND THEN ANY NEW INFORMATION THAT COMES IN WOULD BE, UM, AT THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
BUT THAT'S, SHE WAS ASKING WHAT WAS THE SENIOR SECOND? IT WAS JUST OUR OLD HOUSING COMMITTEE WAS HAVING THE ITEM THAT WE WERE GONNA ADDRESS THAT WAS PART OF OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE EFFORTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS REGARDING CREATING A COMMITTEE FOR THIS? IT'S JUST GONNA BE LIKE, UH, THE NON-PROFIT OR SOMETHING LIKE LYDIA HOUSE UP ON PACIFIC.
I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE A PACIFIC BUILDING.
THIS IS JUST A COMMISSION DISCUSSION FOR, UH, FOR ABUSE AND ALL OF THAT.
I MEAN, SOMEPLACE DOES IT, THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
THIS IS THE COMMISSION DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THAT.
SO THIS IS A COMMISSION DISCUSSION, SO THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO NOW YOU HAVE TO SEE IF YOU'RE GONNA ESTABLISH LIKE AN AD HOC MEETING.
SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE FORMING OF THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON IT? MICHELLE, YOU CAN ALSO TABLE IT IF YOU WANT TO TABLE IT TO NEXT MONTH FOR ALAN.
SO ALAN, IF WHATEVER YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO DO, BUT THOSE ARE YOUR CHOICES.
UM, AND THEN DO WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE TO TABLE IT OR YES.
CAN I HAVE A, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING.
THEN, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLING THIS ITEM UNTIL OUR NEXT, UH, MEETING.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE VOTE? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING TABLING? I, I'M NOT SURE OF THE BENEFIT OF TABLING IT.
I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN INVOLVED IN WATCHING THE COMMITTEE'S GREAT WORK.
UM, AND I THINK WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S ASKING FOR IS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, THAT WOULD ADVANCE THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE BY A WHOLE MONTH BY NOT HAVING TO WAIT.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OBJECTIONS TO, UH, FORMING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT OF TABLING THE DISCUSSION OR THE VOTE UNTIL NEXT MONTH WHEN WE COULD, UM, ESTABLISH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE RIGHT HERE AND NOW AND, UM, WE WOULD BE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE COMMITTEE.
SO THEN WE COULD GO BACK TO, ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE COULD VOTE ON IF WE WANT TO TABLE IT OR NOT.
AND THEN IF, IF WE DECIDE NOT TO TABLE IT, THEN WE COULD GO BACK TO VOTING ON IF WE WANT TO ESTABLISH, UM, A COMMITTEE.
SO FIRST WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE ON DO WE WANT TO TABLE THIS, UH, TOPIC TILL NEXT MONTH OR NOT ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLING IT TO NEXT MONTH? SAY AYE AYE.
UM, OPPOSED TO SAY, YEAH, I'M OPPOSING IT BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO MAKE, OKAY.
SO ALL OPPOSED, OPPOSED TO I'M OPPOSED.
SO WE HAVE TWO OPPOSED AND THREE IN FAVOR OF, SO THEN IN THAT CASE, THE MOTION CARRIES TO TABLE IT TILL NEXT MONTH, CORRECT? RIGHT, RIGHT.
UH, NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT OF IS THERE ANY COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC, UH,
[00:55:01]
FOR THIS COMMISSION ON NON AGENDA ITEMS? EACH SPEAKER IS ALLOWED THREE MINUTES.WOULD YOU CARE? TRANSPORTATION.
SO YOU WANT TO DO AN ANNOUNCEMENTS THEN? NOW WE HAVE OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE ON NEXT.
WE CAN'T KEEP IT 10 MINUTES BECAUSE OH, OKAY.
WELL, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT LEGALLY WITH IT NOT BEING ON THE AGENDA.
UM, LAST MONTH I DID PUT AN AGENDA ITEM ON FOR THIS MONTH'S MEETING FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH TRANSIT WHO WANTED TO MEET WITH JUST MYSELF.
AND I SAID I WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER THAT UNTIL WE MET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE MY FORMER TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
SO THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAME AS THE FORMATION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SENIOR SAFE HOUSE COMMITTEE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THERE FOR TRANSPORTATION ON THIS MONTH'S AGENDA.
THEREFORE, I'M SAYING NOW I DON'T HAVE A DATE FOR HIM.
HE ONLY WANTS TO MEET WITH ME, BUT I WANT TO MEET WITH THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH HIM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE SUPPOSED TO BE FORMULATED IN THIS OTHER AD HOC COMMITTEE SO THAT HE COULD BE WITH ALL THREE OF US.
SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WHAT I DO IS I CREATE THE AGENDA AND THAT'S WHEN I SEND IT TO ALL OF YOU WITH THE MINUTES AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED OR ADDED, LIKE IF YOU WOULD'VE REVIEWED IT AND SEEN IT WASN'T ON THERE, THEN THAT'S YOUR TIME TO BRING IT TO MY ATTENTION.
NO, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GONNA BE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GONNA BE AN AGENDA TO DISCUSS IT.
WELL, YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANTED IT LIKE THE, UM, HOUSING OR THE SENIOR SAFE HOME.
SO IF YOU WANT IT ON THE AGENDA, THEN YOU, UM, LET ME KNOW.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE IT AS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR US TO JUST MEET WITH HIM OR DO WE HAVE TO JUST MEET WITH HIM? NO, YOU JUST MEET WITH HIM ON YOUR OWN.
AS LONG AS IT'S, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE AGENDA.
YEAH, AS LONG AS IT'S LESS THAN, UM, THE THREE PEOPLE, YOU COULD DO WHATEVER YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOU APPLY WITH THE BROWN ACT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE COMMISSION? I HAVE MENTS COMMISSION GIVEN.
UM, AND, UH, I AM ALSO CONFUSED ABOUT THE AGENDA THINGS BECAUSE I DID SEND THIS OFF, UH, VERY EARLY ON, LIKE THE 12TH OF SEPTEMBER TO BECOME AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT IT NEVER MADE IT ONTO THE AGENDA.
SO I, UM, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.
BUT MY ANNOUNCEMENT IS STARTING IN JANUARY.
I WILL NO LONGER BE BOOKING SPEAKERS.
MY GOAL IS FOR EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION TO STEP UP, TAKE A MONTH, BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A SPEAKER FOR THAT MONTH.
THIS WILL BE ON THE AGENDA NEXT TIME FOR SURE.
SO WE COULD DISCUSS THAT NEXT TIME.
UM, DOES ANYBODY BUT ANYBODY, EVERYBODY COULD THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND ALSO I BELIEVE, UH, IRENE SAID SHE'S GONNA GET US GUIDELINES OF WHAT KIND OF SPEAKERS WE CAN HAVE SPEAK TO US.
THAT WAY EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A COPY AND IT'LL BE GOOD.
SO YOU COULD AGENDA BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
SO WE COULD BRING WHOEVER EACH PERSON WANTS TO BRING BASED ON THEIR, BASED ON THEIR INTERESTS.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, FOR THE COMMISSION? I, UH, ON THE AGENDA ITEMS, WHEN YOU SEND OUT THE, THE AGENDA AS IS, IF WE DON'T RESPOND IN HOW LONG? WELL, I DO NEED TO POST IT, UM, IN ADVANCE.
AND IF I DO NOT, THEN WE WILL NOT HAVE THE AGREED.
BUT DO LIKE, SO IF I GET AN EMAIL ON TO YOU GUYS LAST TIME, SO I BELIEVE I TOLD YOU I NEED TO HAVE IT TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
WHICH YOU DID SAY YOU SENT IT THEN RIGHT NOVEMBER.
SO THE QUESTION IS, IT IS FOR YOU TO REVIEW IT WHEN I DO SEND IT OUT.
RIGHT? BUT SO WHAT, WHEN YOU SEND IT OUT, HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO RESPOND SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS? I JUST HAVE TO HAVE IT POSTED BY THE FRIDAY BEFORE.
NO, I KNOW, BUT NO, BUT WHEN YOU SEND, SO ONCE YOU, YOU SEND US THE AGENDA, RIGHT? WE'RE REVIEWING IT.
DO I HAVE LIKE A DAY TO REVIEW IT OR HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO REVIEW IT BEFORE? I NEED TO GIVE BEFORE YOU AT LEAST TWO TO THREE DAYS.
SO YOU SEND IT TO US AND THEN WE HAVE TWO TO THREE DAYS YES.
IT'S MY RECALL THAT SHE GIVES US A DATE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT THOUGH.
SOME QUESTIONS, REMARKS, OR I USUALLY PUT IT IN ON THE, WHEN I DO DO SEND IT, YOU GIVE US A DATE TO HAVE THAT IN MIND.
[01:00:01]
HAVING REVIEWED THOSE EXTENSIVELY.DOES, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? UM, TODAY I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE A NOVEMBER SPEAKER ALREADY IDENTIFIED? THERE IS.
IT IS GONNA BE SUMMER SMITH FROM THE LONG BEACH SENIOR.
THE LONG BEACH, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
NOVEMBER THEN THAT'S NOVEMBER.
AND NOW I AM LOOKING FOR, UH, A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
UH, TAKE A VOTE ON ADJOURNING THE MEETING.
THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:05 PM AM.