Nearly 90% of people experiencing homelessness have endured significant trauma before the age of 18. And those who have adverse childhood experiences are also more likely to develop serious mental health conditions, writes Kevin Norton, a public health professional and trauma survivor. He urges Santa Cruz County to expand trauma screening and public education, especially if we want to truly support unhoused people.
Kevin Norton
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
It’s time for a pedestrian street in Santa Cruz: 95% say yes
Santa Cruz needs a summertime pedestrian zone to enhance its reputation, improve safety and pull folks in, write four members of Pacific for People. The grassroots group is intent on seeing downtown become a more vibrant space, a goal city-dwellers have aspired to since the 1989 earthquake left downtown in rubble. At least 15 cities in California have already established permanent pedestrian streets, they write. It’s time for Santa Cruz to create its own weekend version.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We need to look more closely at the trauma faced by our first responders in Santa Cruz County
First responders in Santa Cruz County need more trauma-informed services, writes Kevin Norton, who holds a master’s in public health and who has experienced trauma firsthand. About 38% of calls to Santa Cruz police now involve mental health issues, substance use and homelessness, he writes. The toll is wearing on those who respond and he is not surprised by a 2017 study showing more American police officers and emergency medical services professionals died by suicide than in the line of duty. Since 1992, Santa Cruz’s population has increased by 23%, but calls to the fire department increased by 163%, with the majority being medical calls, Norton writes. We need to do more, he says, to help our emergency service workers.
