A Fond, Well-Loved Goodbye to CAHOOTS in Eugene.

I'm in a dorm with students in a DEAC-accredited university program, and friends with a number of them. One of them was talking with me for one of his assignments on mental health care, wanting a Black perspective on it. I share with him the perspective I grew up on, with my relatives poking fun at people who needed care, and how I had to ignore the stigma bequeathed upon my shoulders from my elders when COVID hit and took my purpose away for half a year -- having panic attacks so severe that they mimicked cardiac issues. We talked about my climb out of that depression well.

He also asked me about something I had shared with him when he was in our facility's Faith and Character Based Program with me a year prior: I mentioned that in the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, we had a program called CAHOOTS: Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets.
The program was available through both a nonemergency phone number, as well as when you call 9-1-1 to speak with an emergency services dispatcher, and focused on sending mental health specialists to aid a person who is having what is considered a mental health emergency instead of a police officer which could exacerbate and escalate an already delicate situation.

CAHOOTS, when I had done my research over five years ago, got their budget through the local police departments. So, amidst the cries of "Defund the Police!" that rocked our nation after the badged murder of George Floyd, of many others who look like me, my dissenting opinion in saying no to defunding the very instrument that I feared may have seemed abstruse at surface level.

As nerds, we have people we contact on the outside to get useful information inside. I was a bit depressed when I learned of the end of CAHOOTS, and asked if their people can find out why it went away.

I found out that while CAHOOTS has left the City of Eugene because of budgetary reasons (in part), it still carries on in Springfield, right across the Willamette River. Further, a replacement for CAHOOTS had been spun up to serve a larger area than just Eugene or Springfield -- it services all of Lane County! :)

Alas, I did not take a note on the new name, else I would mention them here, but I am at least very glad that CAHOOTS is still around both in name and in a new spirit.

So if you are in Lane County, Oregon, and are experiencing a mental health crisis, please pick up a phone and dial 9-8-8. You can also dial 9-1-1, and an emergency services operator can dispatch help for you.

Also, if you are in need of access to services (food, shelter, etc), dial 2-1-1. This works in many, if not all states (even in Florida, much to my surprise).

And please, remember one thing for me?
The mind is part of the body system. Don't put a piece of tape over your mind's check engine indicator. If there is an issue, please work on it, whether you DIY your fixes (self-care, divorcing yourself from unnecessarily strenuous situations), crowdsource your solutions (spend time with good friends, try a new hobby or sport), or work with a professional (counseling and therapy).

Be loved, and be love.

-- Jayel