The United Justice Coalition, an organization that works across disciplines to raise awareness around key social justice issues and the need for criminal justice reform, recently held its second annual Summit on December 1, 2023. Vibrant's AVP of Public Policy & Government Affairs, Laura Evans, participated in a panel on mental health and the criminal justice system. The panel also featured Dr. Jay Barnett and Elliott Connie and was moderated by Charlamagne Tha God. 

During the panel, Laura discussed the importance of diverting from the inappropriate use of law enforcement and jails for individuals experiencing a mental health emergency. Removing this inappropriate use of law enforcement would also decrease unnecessary criminal justice involvement. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline aims to reduce those interactions by offering crisis interventions and emotional support to anyone experiencing a mental health emergency 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is also available for those calling on behalf of a loved one experiencing distress. Laura also shared the need to build robust mobile crisis teams for situations in which in-person intervention is needed to keep an individual safe. The panel also discussed the importance of self-care and protecting your mental health when using social media platforms. 

Watch a clip of the panel here.