April 25 2024

Cosm set to open at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park on June 29

Inglewood Today News

Cosm will officially open its first venue to the public in Inglewood on June 29. Its 65,000 square foot venue that will feature a live Shared Reality production of UFC 303 offering fans an all-access, Octagon-side experience that they’ve never seen before.

Fans will be able to view major sports and entertainment events from around the world, via livestream broadcasts.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of Cosm Los Angeles,” said Jeb Terry, CEO and President at Cosm. “This isn’t just about opening our doors – it’s about unlocking access to the world’s most coveted sports and entertainment events. We’ve anticipated this announcement since Cosm started in 2019, and we are thrilled to open with

Katt Williams to Perform in Inglewood

Today News

Netflix has revealed that the ever-controversial comedian Katt Williams will perform live at Inglewood’s YouTube Theatre on May 4. His upcoming comedy special “Woke Foke” is part of the “Netflix is a Joke” Fest.

“Katt Williams is going LIVE on Netflix. What could possibly happen???” the caption reads.

Williams has been in the headlines since appearing on YouTube’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe. In the interview, Williams spilled steaming hot “tea,” revealing alleged secrets, lies and scandals of celebrities like Steve Harvey, Mike Epps, Diddy, Rickey Smiley and Tyler Perry.

He noted that 2024 is

the year when Hollywood secrets will be exposed.

Williams is noted for his breakthrough role as Money Mike in Ice Cube’s “Friday After Next.”

Netflix is a Joke Fest takes place from May 2 to May 12.

Comedians, Jerry Seinfeld, Trevor Noah, Ali Wong, Craig Robinson, Dane Cook, David Letterman, Chelsea Handler, and Chris Rock will also participate in the comedy fest at L.A. area venues including The Forum.

In the past, the comedy festival has featured such comedians as Dave Chapelle, Pete Davidson, Snoop Dogg, Wanda Sykes, John Mulvaney, and Maya Rudolph.

Inglewood

Supporting Local News is Key to Local Prosperity

By Willie Brown

The National Newspaper Publishers Association is hosting its annual convention in June. To those to say newspapers are dead, there are still many who prefer to get their news in printed form.

Despite the digital world, there is still a place for newspapers. Some people like to physically turn the page. Information is easy to access, no scrolling, or waiting for pages to download. More importantly, independent news publishers seek to capture the lives of those who have been marginalized from society.

While big name news outlets are all helpful in their own way, we need to realize that there are other news organizations—niche news organizations—that can provide the full scope on issues and topics relevant to you.

Because of a large general audience, big conglomerates cannot possibly focus on the issues that are important to you if you are black, Latino, Asian, female, LGBTQ or any other group. A large chunk of the general population would be left out, so it wouldn’t be profitable for CNN, ABC and others news groups to highlight specific demographics unless the subject is attached to a celebrity or news of a

sentiments as yourself. From there, you can begin to build communities and hopefully take action toward changing unfavorable conditions that specifically affect you.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) 2024 Summer Internship program is accepting applications from aspiring young leaders. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 5. Successful candidates will gain hands-on experience in the public policy field, and make important connections, which can lead to job opportunities. This internship is based in Washington, DC. Free housing will be provided. For more information, apply online at https://www.cbcfinc.org/ programs/internships/. Publisher’s

Often, people are focused on the big stuff so much that they pay too little attention to the things that matter most. On a large scale, the Presidential and Congressional elections get the most press coverage. But what we need to be paying attention to are the smaller, local elections because that is where we live. City council members and state-elected leaders enact laws that directly affect our public safety, money, environment, and education.

This is where local news excels because the press is more accessible, much more interested in reporting news that affects their immediate audience.

While our national leaders are focused on the national deficit, climate change and international conflict, local leaders are concerned about the quality of our public schools, potholes, homelessness, crime and other issues.

Inglewood Today is a proud member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. We uphold the organization’s creed to “lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms” and seek to provide accurate, positive news and excludes no one. Let’s support our newspaper associations with our support and advertising dollars so they can continue to bring content that matters most to you.

Inglewood Today and CBCF Announce Spring and Summer Internships

Inglewood Today (https://inglewoodtoday.com) has announced immediate internship opportunities for aspiring journalists and data/research assistants. The 31-year old media company is considering college and high school students for 3-6 month internships working hybrid 4-8 hours per week.

Journalist interns will have an opportunity to build their writing portfolios while interviewing celebrities, elected officials and other community leaders. They will also cover issues related to Inglewood and surrounding areas. Data/research assistants will work behind the scenes maintaining databases and helping to organize and launch a new blog.

Interested candidates may apply by submitting resumes to veronica@inglewoodtoday.com. If applying for the journalist internship, candidates must also submit their best 2-3 writing samples.

Newsom Opens State Park, Announces New Climate Goals

California Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated Earth Day by announcing the opening of a new state park this summer. It is the first park opened in a decade. The state has also set targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands.

for swimming and boating access in the future.

“Dos Rios is not just a park,” Ali Manzo, California State Park interpreter, said. “It’s a community treasure that offers peace, adventure

The governor’s plan sets out to reduce the risks of wildfires, expand forest cover and restore wetlands. Newsom said the targets would move the state closer toward achieving its mandate of carbon neutrality, meaning it will

make wildfires more intense. The state also plans to plant 4.2 million trees, manage and restore 1.6 million acres (647,000 hectares) of grasslands, and protect more than 233,000 acres (94,000 hectares) of wetlands and seagrasses

Dos Rios, located in California’s Central Valley, the state’s 281st state park, is set to open on June 12, and will occupy approximately 1,600 acres. Californians will be able to use the park for hiking and picnicking, with plans

and a vital connection to nature.” Rios was joined by the governor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta to make the announcement. Huerta worked side by side with the late Cesar Chavez to secure labor rights for farm workers in the Central Valley.

remove as many carbon emissions from the atmosphere as it emits, by 2045.

The plan aims to reduce the risks of wildfires across nearly 53,000 square miles (138,000 square kilometers) of land by 2045 through methods that include burning vegetation that can

along that timeline.

“These are stretch goals, unquestionably,” Newsom said. “The good news is we’re making real progress.”

Source: Associated Press

Stakeholders Discuss Reparations for Black Californians as State Faces Deep Budget Cuts

Although California will have to make significant budget cuts to balance its budget as required by state law, Assemblymember and California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) member Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) said there are still ways to achieve reparations for Black Californians.

Currently, the budget deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year has been projected to be as high as $73 billion.

Bryan said it will be “absolutely difficult,” but the state is still investing in other priority programs, various essential industries, oil companies, and prisons. The 32-year-old lawmaker

made these observations at the California Budget and Policy Center (Budget Center) annual Policy Insights conference held April 16 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento.

“(California) has the 4th or 5th largest economy in the world. There will be $300 billion coming out of California State government,” Bryan said. “So, you can’t tell me that we don’t have the resources to foundationally begin reparations conversations or to start to make amends to start to do the repair work when we can invest in these institutions.”

The Budget Center is a nonpartisan, research and analysis nonprofit dedicated to advancing meaningful

public policies that enhance the lives of Californians. It is also committed to exposing inequities in the state, budget priorities, and public policies that affect low and middle-income households, women, immigrants, American Indians, Asians, Black, Latinx, and Pacific Islander Californians.

The Budget Center’s Policy Insights 2024 conference brought together diverse stakeholders, including community advocates, government officials, nonprofits, and members of the media. The conference featured 11 workshops and plenary sessions covering topics in tax and budget policy, poverty, racial equity, housing and homelessness, child development, and more.

During the conference’s luncheon plenary session, titled “Policy Pathways to Reparations,” discussions were centered around the topic of reparations.

The session explored courses of action for securing reparations, guided by a 2023 task force report that examined the damages endured by African Americans as a result of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and legal and illegal discriminatory practices that were a part of the country’s culture for centuries.

Bryan was joined by Felicia Jones, the Director of Programs and

Continued on page 7

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Serving Ladera, Hawthorne, Westchester, Lawndale, Gardena, Carson

Area Communities Free Mental Wellness Workshops

Offered at Local Farmers’ Markets

Inglewood Today News

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To shed light on this important issue, Food Access LA and Creative Life Mapping have joined together to offer Neighborhood Wellness Workshops at eight farmers’ markets in Los Angeles.

The events are a part of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Take Action movement.

These free, fun, and informative workshops will provide an opportunity to learn about the ties between mental health, food access, and overall health.

The workshops at Crenshaw Farmers Market, Crenshaw and Degnan, will take place from 10am-3pm Friday, on May 10. For a list of dates and times of other workshops around Los

Angels, visit foodaccessla.org. Workshops will present a variety of information on mental health, mental wellness strategies and community resources. Participants can enter to win a market gift basket.

Additionally, Hunger Action LA will bring their Blind & Low Vision Program to the Neighborhood Wellness workshops. This free program brings sighted volunteers and visually impaired shoppers together to experience the farmers’ market in an inclusive way.

Through its various partnerships with farmers markets, small business and work in urban agriculture, the organization works to increase access to fresh, locally sourced food. Creative Life Mapping offers accessible and integrated wellness, career, and educational services to the Los Angeles Community. Workshops have included mental health, stress reduction, mindful resilience, career development, education planning and life skills. Learn more at www. foodaccessla.org.

Sports & Entertainment Clippers Introduces Ultimate Wall Pass

Los Angeles Clippers fans now can buy a $1,300 season ticket that allows them to get a seat -- on a first-come, first-serve basis -- in a fan section next season at the Intuit Dome, the team announced.

The Clippers introduced the “ultimate wall pass” Wednesday. The pass, priced at $1,299 before taxes and fees, provides access to all 41 regularseason home games in Los Angeles -- an equivalent to $30 per game.

Fans have their seats assigned from row Nos. 3 through 51 depending on their arrival time, with better seats given to those who arrive early.

Most fans who buy the tickets will sit in the section known as “The Wall” behind the opposing team’s basket. Highdemand games could result in seat assignments in other areas of the arena, including the standingroom-only section.

Fans who buy the ultimate wall pass can make “sit-withfriend” reservations before attending games, ensuring they are seated next to others with the same type of ticket.

They also can purchase a shareable

ultimate wall pass for an additional $800, which features the same perks, but allows the ticket to be shared between four people.

Those with the ultimate wall pass will receive early access to playoff tickets

and discounted concession prices. The Intuit Dome is scheduled to open in August, ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, served as

the home of the Clippers for the final time this season. The Clippers shared the facility with the Los Angeles Lakers since 1999.

Source: UPI

GAME PREVIEW: 5 Things You Should Know About Clippers vs. Mavs Game 2

LAClippers history (Deandre Jordan – 180).

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

Last Matchup: 4/21/2024 | LAC 109

– DAL 97 | L. Doncic: 33 PTS – James Harden 28 PTS

The Clippers have won three straight postseason games against the Mavericks going back to 2021. A win tonight would match the Clippers’ longest winning streak against a single opponent in their playoff history (vs. Jazz in 2021).

The Clippers held the Mavs to just eight points in the second quarter of Game 1. Los Angeles had never previously held an opponent to fewer than double-digits in any quarter in the postseason

in franchise history, with the previous low being 11 points (first quarter vs. Spurs in 2012).

Ivica Zubac added four offensive rebounds on Sunday night and now has 105 offensive rebounds in the postseason with the Clippers. He needs five more to match Blake Griffin for the second most in Clippers postseason

James Harden had eight assists and went 6-for-11 from three-point range in Game 1. The only other Clipper in postseason history to have six made threes and at least eight assists is Chris Paul, who made eight threes to go with 10 assists in 2014 against the Thunder in Game 1.

BONUS: The Clippers have won all six postseason games they have shot at least 50.0 percent from the three-point line since the 2015 playoffs. The only teams with more wins without a loss when shooting 50.0% from three are the Heat (nine), Cavs (eight) and the Warriors (seven).

California’s New $20 Minimum Wage: Pros and Cons for Small Businesses

By Aden Ferguson

On January 1, 2024, California’s minimum wage increased to $20 per hour for businesses with 26 or more employees, the highest statewide minimum wage in the nation. The new $20 hourly rate, up from $15 the previous year, has significant implications for the state’s small businesses and their employees.

The higher minimum wage presents both opportunities and challenges for California’s small business owners. On one hand, it guarantees a more livable income for workers employed at or near the minimum wage level. This could help recruit and retain staff, reduce turnover costs, and boost employee morale, productivity, and purchasing power.

For small business owners, raising the minimum wage to $20 can be a big financial burden, but many hope it will

make it easier to attract and keep good employees. When workers feel valued with better pay, they’re more committed, and usually, customers get better service.

However, the $20 hourly minimum wage will significantly increase labor costs for the state’s small businesses at a time when many are still recovering from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A higher payroll could force some businesses to raise prices, cut staff hours, or even close their doors permanently if they cannot absorb the additional costs.

Many small business owners fear that the wage hike will be devastating for mom-and-pop businesses like theirs. With profits already thin, labor is one of their biggest expenses. If they want to keep all their employees, they may have no choice but to raise prices for customers.

The minimum wage increase is an

effort by California policymakers to help workers make ends meet and keep up with the state’s extremely high and rising cost of living. Supporters argue that it will give lower-income households more disposable income to spend in their local economies. But critics contend the spike could lead to job losses, higher prices, and a worsening business climate.

Only time will tell how the new $20 minimum wage will impact California’s diverse landscape of small businesses.

For some, it could lift up workers and boost their business success. For others struggling with increased costs, it may force very difficult financial decisions in the months ahead.

Get Serious About Your Retirement

By Maya Mackey

I’ll admit, the folly of youth did not allow me to care much about this topic. I was fortunate enough to have an older coworker looking out for me several years ago who implored me to contribute ten percent of my check to the 401k retirement plan offered by my employer.

“Ten percent?” I gasped. I was already putting a percentage away for health insurance and then there were the involuntary taxes. “They’re taking all of my money,” I cried. Nevertheless, my sage of a mentor and colleague, Paula, insisted it wasn’t that much and that I’d appreciate it once I got older. And she was right.

Another folly of youth was taking it out prematurely a year ago to help me survive an unemployment spell. Even still, I didn’t sweat it too much “Well, I’ll just build it back. I’m only 30. I have time.” And while there’s truth to that notion, facing end-of-life transitional costs for a loved one has created a personal motivation to think about retirement for once.

The type of care needed and the costs required to attain it has me taking a much harder look at my own physical and financial health. And I know I’m not alone. Retirement isn’t something a lot of us think about until it’s too late. We know one day we’ll have to but knowing something is important and actually preparing for it are two different things. And if you’re Black, failure to plan for retirement is more costly than you think.

Accountability Office shows that the road to a comfortable retirement is pretty bleak for Americans right now and the gap between who can and can’t retire well is only widening. Adjusting for the cost of living and median incomes in 2022 dollars, white Americans who were low-income earners had 4.5 times what low earning Black Americans did for their retirement.

White middle class and high income earners had double that of Black people in the same financial bracket. The reality is there are real barriers to working class people of “color” being able to contribute to a stable future. Black, Indigenous and Latinx workers are more likely than white workers to earn lower wages, have little to no emergency savings and if they do, are far more likely to dip into their emergency or long term savings accounts in order to care for their families.

colleagues. And there are still more who don’t have access to a work sponsored retirement account at all. The following quote from the Aspen’s Institute Leadership Forum nails the dilemma perfectly.

“If you don’t have income sufficient to cover day-to-day bills and accumulate the shortterm savings needed to handle emergencies, how will you be able to save for the longtime but if your primary or full-time job isn’t helping you contribute to a retirement fund, take matters into your own hands while you’re still young and full of energy.

This same study reported that low income earners are often contributing between five to eight percent of their paycheck into retirement compared to ten to fifteen percent of their White

1.Check your state’s lost asset site. Gone are the days of lifetime employment. The average person will hold a minimum of 12 jobs in their lifetime. And if each of these jobs offers a 401k, it’s hard to keep track of all the times your money moves. Luckily, nowadays, you don’t have to. A quick google search of “Unclaimed Property or Funds” can show you what, if any, accounts you still have money in and help you rollover the funds to a current account.

2.Investigate an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). Although we place a lot of responsibility on whomever our current employer is, you don’t have to wait on them to open a retirement account. You can open up a traditional (deferred tax) IRA or ROTH IRA (taxed

up front) and adjust your level on contribution over the years

3.Invest! No doubt, learning how to invest and grow your money can be anxiety inducing. Most of us were not blessed with financially astute parents. And even if you did grow up with well off parents, money remains a taboo topic in many households. As an adult, deciding how you want to live and what you want your money to do for you is a task you’ll have to take on. Thankfully, we get to exist in the age of Youtube, Google and TikTok. Watch videos, read books and blogs. Utilize your local library and attend free tax preparation and financial literacy classes.

4.Invest not only in a retirement account but a high yield savings account and stocks. Make it a community effort and pull money alongside your coworkers, family, friends or other sources of community. Buy a restaurant franchise and split the earnings evenly.

5.Practice year-round self-care. The high costs of retirement are usually due to terminal illness. The better care you take of your mind, body and spirit, the lower or later your odds are at diseases such as Alzheimer’s or diabetes. Quit poor health habits now to delay difficulty in your later years. Ensure that you are eating healthy, drinking enough water and getting regular physical and mental exercise.

These are just a handful of ideas to get started but whether you heed these tips or find your own (like moving abroad to lower cost of living), I hope you’ll learn from others past mistakes and get serious about your retirement well before you think you need it. Time is of the essence.

Continued from page 3: Stakeholders...

Operations for Social Good Solutions and The Black Equity Collective; James Woodson, from the California Black Power Network and African Americans and the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT); and Don Tamaki, a former member of the California Reparations Task Force and Senior Counsel, Minami Tamaki

Woodson said. “From a moral standpoint but also a practical standpoint that it just can’t be about Black communities and Black people. We have to have other communities standing with us.”

Several reparation bills presented by the CLBC as a whole or by separate members are working their way through the State Legislature.

the legacy of slavery and systemic racism” is necessary.

Gov. Gavin Newsom presented a $291 billion spending plan to the California Legislature on Jan. 10. None of CLBC’s package of bills is tied to direct cash payments but Bryan did ask supporters at the conference to keep the conversation going about reparations.

LLP. The moderator was John Kim, a member of the Budget Center Board of Directors and President and CEO of Catalyst California.

Woodson acknowledged that it would take more than members of the CLBC to pave the way toward reparations in the state. He said it would take a collective effort from people of all backgrounds to get the public and other lawmakers on board.

Both Woodson and Tamaki are members of AART. The organization’s mission is to raise public awareness about reparations and to build a base of multi-racial and multisector supporters in the state.

CLBC members

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) are also associated with ARRT. Both lawmakers were members of the California Reparations Task Force.

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the CLBC, stated in January, “While many only associate direct cash payments with reparations, the true meaning of the word, to repair, involves much more.”

Before discussions about financial payouts can take place, considering budget concerns, Wilson said that “a comprehensive approach to dismantling

“Don’t let the legislature or the governor off the hook,” Bryan said. Tamaki, who is Japanese American, was the only non-Black member of the nine-person reparations task force. He told the Policy Insights attendees that “moving the needle” in the direction of public opinion, raising awareness, and passing the CLBC bills are the next steps in the push for reparations.

“Out of 115 (reparations) proposals for repair, only a few of them deal with individual compensation. The rest have to do with policies,” said Tamaki. “For example, Black infant mortality over 10 years in San Francisco is literally five times the rate for White babies. So, these are the systematic outcomes we are familiar with that need to be addressed.”

“There are hearts and minds we’ve got to change outside the Legislature,”

Continued from page 1: Cosm set...

an exceptional lineup of championship events, including the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Finals, and UFC 303. It’s the perfect slate to reveal our reimagined live sports experience.

Located adjacent to SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome, Cosm will showcase live sports, entertainment, music, immersive art, and more in a whole new way, delivering state-of-theart architecture and visuals that merge

the energy of the crowd with elevated food and beverage service. Fans will feel like they have the best seat in the house at the most sought-after events taking place from around the world.

While UFC 303 will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29, Cosm will give Los Angeles area fight fans the experience of sitting Octagon-side for one of the year’s most highly anticipated UFC events.

Prior to officially opening to the public on June 29, Cosm will host a series of private events and early access premiers at its venue featuring live productions of the 2024 NBA Finals, 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, as well as exclusive immersive exhibitions from world renowned creators and artists of the Cosm Studios Creator Program.

above

name change

file a written objection that

the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Medi-Cal Enhanced: California’s Efforts to Improve Health Services Are Paying Off

Medi-Cal members have access to a variety of services that address their social, physical, and mental health needs beyond hospitals and doctors’ offices. Thanks to a two-year-old initiative launched by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

DHCS Deputy Director of Health Care Programs

Sarah Brooks stated that the department’s California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative is a program aimed at improving the lives and health of the 15 million Golden State residents who are enrolled in the state’s health insurance exchange.

“They receive help from care managers no matter where they are,” Brooks said, adding that lead care managers help people navigate services like basic care, dental, mental health, long-term care, and disorder treatment.

A lead care manager assessed the man’s situation and put him on a treatment plan that included a place to reside, therapy, psychiatry sessions, and transportation to those appointments.

forward to integrating the CalAIM initiatives.

“Health systems can be burdensome to navigate,” she said. “We’re working hard to revolutionize that by simplifying and broadening how members across the state access care, helping them live more independently and safely at home. We are making it easier for members to get the quality care they need.”

One in three Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal Medicaid program. Medi-Cal primarily covers the medical expenses of adults and children from families with low income. With the launch of CAlAIM in 2022, DHCS is transforming Medi-Cal into a comprehensive insurance program designed to improve health equity, quality of care, and wellbeing of users by expanding access to coordinated, whole-person care, and addressing health-related social needs.

Brooks was one of several health officials who discussed the impact CalAIM is having on the lives of Californians during an April 11 Zoom call organized by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services.

That video conference was the first of six briefings scheduled for this month and next designed to inform Californians about how Medi-Cal is transforming health care services and ensuring that enrollees maintain their health coverage.

Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports are the two changes to Medi-Cal, according to state public health officials.

The ECM benefit, available statewide, offers comprehensive care coordination to eligible Medi-Cal enrollees with complex health needs, including the integration of social services. It is implemented by community-based providers who have expertise and knowledge to assist individuals with severe mental, physical, or social needs, or who need assistance navigating the health care system and are too ill or impaired to do it alone.

These at-risk Medi-Cal enrollees, Brooks said, include people experiencing homelessness, foster youth, pregnant women and their kids, adults at risk of being institutionalized, and people transitioning from nursing homes back into the community.

Lead care managers also arrange transportation to medical appointments and find transitional housing and other community support programs.

Community Supports are services that address Medi-Cal users’ social needs to help them live healthier lives and avoid higher cost levels of care. The program offers help finding housing and funding for housing costs such as security deposits, utility set-up fees, first and last month’s rent, and the first month of utilities.

Additionally, Community Supports offers assistance with short-term, post-hospitalization housing, recuperative care, and access to medically tailored meals and other community-based services.

Brooks said the initiative was created to enhance lives.

“We know people experiencing homelessness have higher mortality rates than the general population,” she said. “They also experience more frequent and longer hospital stays. Community Supports can help people find homes.”

Pacific Clinics Senior Clinical Director Rachelle Grant said the Medi-Cal revamp is important.

“Other states are not doing this,” she said. “Other health plans are not doing this.”

Pacific Clinics, California’s largest nonprofit behavioral health provider, aids youth and adults witch acute health and substance abuse challenges. The organization has implemented ECM and Community Supports services in 20 counties.

Grant touted aspects of MediCal transformation that have been an asset to enrollees at Pacific Clinics including a housing support program that gives $5,000 to $6,000 loans.

Grant shared the story of a patient, who she called an “EMC success story.” The man had previously been hospitalized due to mental health problems. He had a brain injury, was homeless and was dealing with substance use disorder.

“Now, he is engaging in so many amazing activities,” Grant stated. “He is going on daily walks, playing pickleball. He is having positive relationships with caregivers. It is amazing the transformation we have seen through our work together.”

Angelica Rodriguez, program manager at Umma Community Clinic, which provides health services to Black and Latino people in South Central Los Angeles, said the clinic is looking

“There are so many ways we can fall through the cracks,” she said. “Some can’t afford to take time off work when health centers are open nine to five on weekdays. Others can’t seek care due to language or cultural barriers or have to take multiple buses to get to the closest clinic. Some can’t afford nutritious foods to help them stay healthy. Now, we can address these issues beyond the clinic walls.”

“I’m excited to witness this transformation to provide community support,’ Rodriquez added.

McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media