Solid Ground’s Social Justice Salons are deep dives into the challenges people living in poverty face and the systems working to help them thrive. These panel discussions with community experts – including people with lived experience – delve into issues like housing strategies, food justice, repairing our human services safety net and mental health systems, and more. Each session features people at the cutting edge of success in our region and focuses on the challenges and opportunities we face as we work to solve poverty in King County.
Upcoming Salon
WHAT: MINDING THE GAP: Poverty, homelessness, and restoring our broken mental health system
WHEN: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 | 4-6pm
WHERE: The Forum at Town Hall Seattle (1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101)
TICKETS: $0-10; refreshments will be served
In this Social Justice Salon, we’ll explore how our community navigates the intersections of poverty, race, culture, social/emotional wellbeing, behavioral health, and homelessness.
Human services providers have long understood that behavioral health access is essential for communities to thrive. Barriers to accessing culturally competent care have led to agencies embedding services within our programs through partnerships and other initiatives.
At MINDING THE GAP, local experts from the human services community and program participants will discuss some of the facts and myths impacting how behavioral health is viewed. We’ll also dig into innovative approaches to services for trauma-impacted families, people facing housing insecurity, and others with lived experiences with poverty.
About the panelists:
DeAunte Damper (Moderator), Co-chair, WA Therapy Fund; Community Organizer, VOCAL-WA; and Host, Converge Media’s We Live in Color – DeAunte has focused on bringing HIV awareness and LGBTQ-affirming education to marginalized communities throughout the City of Seattle. He served as a Peer Navigator for the Department of Health through POCAAN, and is a community organizer with both BUILD 206 and VOCAL-WA.
Johnny Bousquet, Participant Support Specialist Supervisor, CoLEAD – Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA) – After facing his own addiction journey, Johnny has become an expert in survival support services and navigating complex and contradictory requirements to access help. He brings this expertise to CoLEAD in order to walk with participants as they navigate these systems.
Phillip Carr, CEO & Clinical Director, Good Intentions Counseling – Phillip’s expertise embodies a variety of complex concentrations and mental health challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, personality disorders, trauma, teen issues, mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, and domestic violence.
Susan McLaughlin, Director of the Behavioral Health & Recovery Division, King County Department of Community & Human Services – Susan is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of leadership experience in health, behavioral health, and social services as a clinician, researcher, and policy administrator.
Paul Park, Senior Director of Programs, Solid Ground – Paul is a primary care physician and nonprofit leader in public health and social services. His focus areas are quality improvements in community-based organizations designed to address issues of access and inequities in service delivery, as well as social determinants of health.
Alix Van Hollebeke, Director of Nursing, Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) – Alix is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse, and she currently serves as the Nursing Director for DESC. Alix has served vulnerable populations as a registered nurse and nursing leader for over 19 years.
Past Salon Recordings
WHAT:
Women of Color Leading Change
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 | 7-9pm
WHERE:
The Forum at Town Hall Seattle
This community conversation featured four BIPOC women leaders of King County antipoverty organizations sharing their experiences and visions for solving poverty. They lead their organizations to respond to community needs, create positive change during turbulent times, and dismantle the racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty.
About the panelists:
Andrea Caupain Sanderson, CEO, Byrd Barr Place
Janice Deguchi, Executive Director, Neighborhood House
Shalimar Gonzales, CEO, Solid Ground
Estela Ortega, Executive Director, El Centro de la Raza
TraeAnna Holiday (Moderator), Converge Media
WHAT:
Equitable Eating
WHEN:
Wednesday, June, 2023 | 4:30-6:30pm
WHERE:
The Great Hall at Town Hall Seattle
QUESTIONS?
Contact us: events@solid-ground.org
This community conversation featured a panel of food justice advocates, Solid Ground program staff, urban farmers, and other leaders. They discussed what’s already being done to create a more resilient food system here in King County – and how we can all support the innovative programs in place across our region.
Panelists:
- Lisa Chen (she/her), Program Manager, City of Seattle Food Equity Fund
- Laura Emmerson (she/her), Educator & Partnerships Coordinator, Solid Ground Community Food Education
- Devan Rogers (they/he), Communications & Development Manager, FEEST
- Carmen Smith (she/her), Executive Director, White Center Food Bank (WCFB)
- Yamila Sterling-Baker (she/her), Program Manager, Solid Ground Food System Support
- Hannah Wilson (they/them), Yes Farm Manager, Black Farmers Collective
- Christina Wong (she/her), Public Policy & Advocacy Director, Northwest Harvest
WHAT: Untangling the Safety Net
WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 | 12-2pm
WHERE: The Forum at Town Hall Seattle
Too often, people who need and deserve public benefits programs encounter steep eligibility requirements, confounding paperwork, and other barriers – some of them insurmountable. We hope to see you for this in-person community conversation about how we can untangle our safety net and make it accessible for everyone who needs it.
Panelists:
- Derrick Belgarde (he/him), Executive Director, Chief Seattle Club
- Marcy Bowers (she/her), Director, Statewide Poverty Action Network
- Erin Bryant-Thomas (she/her), Director of Equity and Justice, King Co. Regional Homelessness Authority
- Kirk McClain (he/him), Residential Case Manager, Solid Ground’s Sand Point Housing
- Kim McGillivray (she/her), activist and Solid Ground Community Accountability Council member
- Neal Simpson (he/him), Moderator, Solid Ground Communications
WHAT: Interrupting Generational Poverty Through Youth Development
WHEN: Saturday, September 10, 2022 | 1-4pm
WHERE: The Forum at Town Hall Seattle
Truly ending poverty requires stopping generational or inherited poverty. This Salon investigated how Solid Ground services and advocacy work to create pathways to success for youth in our programs. We heard from community partners and youth participants as we explored the many ways we can build healthier communities for our younger generations. We also heard amazing performances by two talented youth artists from Totem Star.
Watch video:
Panelists & performers:
- Anna Cronin (she/her) – Event Emcee, and Solid Ground’s Senior Director of Philanthropy & Communications
- Aleyanna Grae (they/them) – Seattle-based singer, songwriter, and spoken word poet (Instagram: @grae.dreamer)
- Stephanie Hippo (she/her) – Sand Point Housing tutor and mentor
- David Olivera (he/him) – Children’s Group Facilitator, Sand Point Housing campus
- ZAG (he/they) – Hip-Hop Artist, Producer, Poet, DJ, and social justice activist (Instagram: @zagboi)
BACK TO TOP
WHAT:
Addressing Our Community’s
Homelessness Crisis
WHEN:
Thursday, May 12, 3:30-5pm
WHERE:
glassybaby Seattle
Permanent housing with place-based support services as needed is one key to ending homelessness. This Salon showcased Solid Ground’s approach – including amplifying resident voices – and presented innovative housing models.
Panelists:
- Emily Alvarado – Enterprise Community Partners, Vice President and Pacific NW leader
- Doug Baldwin Jr. – Vault 89 Ventures
- Dee Hillis – Solid Ground Residential Services Director
- Nicole Macri – Event Emcee, Deputy Director for Strategy at Downtown Emergency Service Center, and Washington State House of Representatives member (43rd District)
- Lhorna Murray – activist and Solid Ground housing resident
- Mary Ruffin, Foster Garvey PC law clerk and Solid Ground Board member
Questions about the Social Justice Salons?
Contact Anna Cronin, Senior Director of Philanthropy & Communications, at annac@solid-ground.org for more information!
BACK TO TOP
