PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A local chapter of a Virginia organization is hosting a free community mental health forum at a Portsmouth church Wednesday evening.
The event, hosted by Virginia Organizing's Portsmouth Chapter, will take place at the Trinity Episcopal Church at 500 Court Street. The organization said it has run campaigns in the area to bring attention to the importance of mental health.
The Portsmouth chapter is advocating for the implementation of Marcus Alerts and the use of mindfulness practices in Portsmouth City Public Schools.
Mental health professionals will speak at the event to discuss why they think those initiatives are important.
Marcus Alerts, according to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, "[enhance] services for people experiencing a crisis related to mental health, substance use, or developmental disability."
Originating from a situation in 2018 that left an unarmed, naked Black man dead, Marcus Alerts would establish, "coordination between 911 and regional crisis call centers and establishes a specialized behavioral health response from law enforcement when responding to a behavioral health situation," the VDBHDS website said.
Coach Jensen Baker, who uses mindfulness practices in his classroom at Churchland Academy, will share his outcomes.
"I really feel like mindfulness is the key to learning. Before a kid can learn, he has to be able to pay attention. Mindfulness means paying attention in the present moment," Baker said.