The Miles Hall Foundation Inc

MISSION
To honor and celebrate the spirit of Miles Hall, the mission of The Miles Hall Foundation is to advocate for individuals and families impacted by mental illness, educate communities to reduce stigma and bias surrounding mental illness, and prevent criminalization and excessive use of force by law enforcement during mental health emergencies.

WE BELIEVE
* Mental illness is not a crime. We must stop criminalizing those who need care. Help over handcuffs.
* Comprehensive and culturally-responsive mental health care programs need adequate public and private funding, as well as community support from those with lived experiences.
* 24/7 non-police professional mental health response teams reduce harm, promote real public safety, and get those in crisis, our most vulnerable community members, the care and compassion they need.

OUR IMPACT TO DATE:
* Our organization is a strong advocate for The Miles Hall Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Act - AB 988 provides the framework and funding for 9-8-8, a mental health crisis line alternative number to 9-1-1.

* The Miles Hall Crisis Hub which will provide 24/7 mental health services in Contra Costa County staffed with licensed behavioral health clinicians and peer staff to de-escalate situations or dispatch mobile crisis teams.

OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS

ADVOCACY
* Advocate and mobilize support for transformative mental health legislation and implementation of robust public policies supporting access to quality mental health care.

* Be a strong voice to decriminalize and destigmatize mental illness, and speak out against racial inequity and social injustice.

EDUCATION
* Increase family and individual knowledge of early signs of mental health challenges and awareness of available resources to ensure optimum outcomes for those with mental illness, especially persons of color.

* Eliminate the stigma and fear surrounding mental illness and its related social dislocation and discrimination.

PREVENT HARM
* Work to end the use of excessive and lethal force by law enforcement in response to mental health emergencies.

* Identify and implement 24/7 alternatives to calling 911 when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis.

BUILD IMPACT
* Continue to build mission-aligned partnerships through inclusion and collaboration and nurturing compassionate, equitable, action-oriented communities.

* Build capacity for lasting sustainable impact to achieve our vision to protect and save lives

Our History & Team
In June 2019 just a few blocks from his home in Walnut Creek, California, Miles Hall, an unarmed young Black man with his whole life ahead of him, was killed by police after his family called 911 to get him help during a mental health emergency. Since Miles' tragic killing, the Hall family and a large community of friends and supporters have been fighting to create change and protect families in California and across the country from the pain of losing loved ones to police violence as a result of inappropriate responses to those living with mental illness. The Miles Hall Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization created by his family and led by Miles' mom, Taun Hall, was created to turn "Pain into Purpose" by continuing and expanding on this life-saving work.

How We Do It
Our team of volunteers works directly with city, county, and state officials, schools, and numerous partner organizations to decrease the stigma of mental illness through education and to advocate for legislative and policy changes so that families have professional mental health resources and systems in place that help their loved ones and create compassionate, equitable, and empowered communities.

Passage of The Miles Hall Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Act - AB 988 which provides the framework and funding for 9-8-8, a mental health crisis line alternative number to 9-1-1. We are currently working on implementation of AB988 as well as The Miles Hall Crisis Hub which will provide 24/7 mental health services in Contra Costa County staffed with licensed behavioral health clinicians and peer staff to de-escalate situations or dispatch mobile crisis teams.