2023-24 Clark & Myrick
About the 2023-24 Heumann Community Partnership
From Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 Lauren and Keris developed a relationship through conversations focused on chasms in the care continuum. They each brought unique perspectives based on their areas of expertise and lived experiences.
The partnership emerged organically as members of the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California (DRC), the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities.
In Fall 2023, Lauren approached Keris about the Heumann Lab since Keris is someone whose personal experience with the intersections of mental health and disability rights advocacy could augment Lauren’s own knowledge about approaching the intersection of legislation, policy and disability rights. Keris, a leading mental health advocate and executive, valued this opportunity of knowledge-making with Lauren, UCLA, and people who have lived experiences of mental health conditions and those in academic settings.
Using Keris’ podcast “Unapologetically Black Unicorns,” they planned a special series of podcast episodes focused on chasms in the continuum of care. In Spring 2024, after hosting an undergraduate student focus group, Lauren and Keris updated their focus and language to be accessible to current UCLA undergraduates to simply use “mental illness” in lieu of “psychiatric disabilities” and to center the lived experiences of college students. This pivot inspired Keris to draw from her network of advocates and discussed updating the partnership’s focus to include the ideas of belonging and citizenship.
In Summer 2024, Keris connected Lauren and the DS Labs Admin Team with Set Hernandez, director and producer of the documentary unseen, and with Pedro, the protagonist of the unseen.
Keris & Lauren’s conversations with students transformed their direction from that of psychiatric disabilities to explore other intersections of disability and care. In their culminating event, the film screening of unseen, Keris and Lauren highlighted immigration, disability, and mental health.
Unapologetically Black Unicorns (UBU)
― Desmond Tutu
Keris and Lauren developed episodes for the UBU podcast that explored the chasms in the careweb for individuals with mental illness. Using Keris’ podcast “Unapologetically Black Unicorns,” Lauren and Keris developed a special series of podcast episodes focused on chasms in the continuum of care. In their introductory podcast, they discuss how their partnership developed and what “chasms in care” mean to them.
“Chasms of Care” Podcast
“Chasms in Care” with Lauren Clark
In this episode, Lauren shares insights from her work and reflects on the groundbreaking legacy of Judy Heumann, a trailblazer in disability advocacy. Keris and Lauren also explore the concept of “chasms in care,” the importance of language, and the power of community in this work.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
Foundational Ideas
Fall 2023-Winter 2024
Dr. Lauren Clark and Ms. Keris Jän Myrick started their partnership with an intention to discuss the history, trajectory, and stigma surrounding psychiatric disability, the chasms in the carework web, and how to navigate climbing out of and closing the chasms.
Initial areas of focus:
- The current climate of California’s mental health service policies in the context of the California Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court, enacted in 2022, SB 43, enacted in 2023, and the newly proposed Proposition 1. Proponents suggest that use of Courts and more coercive means to providing treatment to those at the intersection of “serious mental heath” conditions, substance use disorders and homelessness is a humane approach to meeting their needs. Opponents to these policies however suggest that these new policies advance coercion, thus impinging on autonomy, infringe on people’s rights and perpetuating existing disparities for communities of color
- The limitations of current policies do not promote prevention, community based support and early interventions
- How and what are the differing viewpoints about what to be done to support people with complex needs that live with psychiatric disabilities
- How intersectionality need to be considered in psychiatric care and supports
- Understand the use of coercion, incarceration, hospitalization, employment, substance use, and housing, and its impact on how individuals receive the care to eliminate the chasms
Spring 2024-Fall 2024
Following the student focus group held in March 2024, Lauren and Keris decided to center the student perspective and the UCLA community. Pulling from Keris’ network, she reached out Set Hernandez, film maker and UCLA alum. She had previously attended a screening of Unseen – a documentary about Pedro, an aspiring social worker who is blind and an undocumented immigrant. Keris believed that this film met the spirit of their partnership focus – mental illness – and expanded it to consider the intersections of citizenship and belonging.
Throughout Summer, Lauren and Keris, with support from the staff of Undergraduate Education Initiatives, planned the screening event while also recording the podcasts. The screening was held during the Disability Studies 101W lecture and was open to the public. In collaboration with Dr. Caitlin Solone, a discussion guide was created for students and community participants.
“Unseen Film Screening and Dialogue on Mental Health, Disability, and Citizenship”
- Read the Discussion Handout that was shared with all participants
- All attendees were invited to complete a survey led by The Center for Media & Social Impact (at American University),and in partnership with the unseen film team.
- The survey will contribute to a a groundbreaking study that will help documentary filmmakers and advocates understand how to better highlight the stories of traditionally underrepresented communities in media and public discussion to create positive social change. The study involves one of the first film-based surveys that centers communities with disabilities and undocumented audiences in its design and primary interests.
