SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Everyday Heroes are all around us and ABC10 wants to highlight the work they do. Every week our viewers nominate people and organizations making a difference in our community.
This week, ABC10 wants to introduce you to Asantewaa Boykin, program director for Health First, a mobile community crisis intervention team serving people who witness a mental health crisis.
Last year, Boykin, also a registered nurse with a background in psychiatric, started a mental health crisis hotline with a team of trained volunteers who can dispense mental health advice. The Mental Health First Team also actively trains the community to safely help someone in a mental health crisis.
“If you see someone in a mental health crisis, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are dangerous,” Boykin said. “A mental health crisis is someone who is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or maybe someone who might be in a domestic violence situation.”
The team’s mission is to offer the community another service to call other than law enforcement. If called, the team can respond in their mobile crisis unit, an RV full of food, medical supplies and care products.
“We’ve had situations where people just need to get out of their current situation and get in another space,” Boykin said. “The things we are teaching folks is stuff they can use with their own family or someone in the street.”
READ MORE ABOUT EVERYDAY HEROES FROM ABC10:
Asantewaa and volunteers with the mental health first team are Everyday Heroes. Call or text them (916) 670-4062. You can also send them a message on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MHFirstSac .
If you want to nominate an Everyday Hero, send and email to John Bartell at jbartell@abc10.com and put Everyday Hero in the subject line.
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