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PAGE 5 This report begins with a story in recognition that data—no matter how close to community members’ lived experiences—is insufficient in truly conveying the challenges and complexities that any individual or family experiences. This story is not of any one person or family, but rather a compilation of stories that were heard. These are stories that weave various realities found throughout the Tri-Valley community into a much broader picture. This story is presented to ground our findings, allowing the reader to see how human services (and the lack of them) can shape not only individual outcomes, but the life course of future generations and an entire region. The G family is a multigenerational family in which Mia, the matriarch, lives with her son Luis, his wife, Laura, and their children Alexa and James. They love the beauty of the mountain landscape and year-long warm weather of the place they call home; however, each member of the family experiences barriers challenging their ability to live happy, healthy, and peaceful lives. Let’s begin with Mia. Mia is 72 years old and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. As her condition progresses, she struggles with her mental health. Mia is covered under Medicare but has a hard time finding a mental health provider (e.g., a therapist or social worker) who not only speaks her language but also understands how challenging it is for her to talk about her mental health. It is also difficult for Mia to keep track of her various appointments and she is unable to drive the distance to the nearest hospital to see her specialists. Sometimes, Mia prefers not to go to any of her appointments because constant travel and management make her anxious. Mia’s son Luis works two low-wage jobs, neither of which provide health insurance, and he makes just enough not to qualify for Medi-Cal. English is not Luis’s first language, which makes navigating the health insurance system very challenging. Luis tries his hardest to make sure he does not get injured on the job and lives in fear of receiving a large medical bill. Luis’s wife Laura also works a low-wage job. She is desperate to connect with women her age but is ashamed about how poorly she speaks English. Laura has thought about taking English classes but her work schedule makes it difficult to attend classes regularly. Alexa and James are in fifth and tenth grade, respectively. Alexa was born in the United States; James was five years old when their parents and grandmother arrived in the country. Alexa enjoys school but wishes she could take art classes. Her parents support her creative interests, but are unable to pay for classes. James has been struggling with several things, particularly mental health. James, who uses they/ them pronouns, works very hard at school. James feels they owe it to their parents to get into a great school and bring the family out of poverty. They would like to talk to someone who understands the pressures of being the oldest child. Sometimes James has intense panic attacks but feels their parents would not understand how they feel and does not want to add more stress to their lives. The story of the G family is not unusual. In this assessment, seeds of these stories—of isolation, challenges navigating human services, stigma toward mental health, transportation and linguistic challenges, and more—emerged through the many conversations with community members. The assessment you are about to read analyzes the strengths and challenges in the Tri-Valley and includes recommendations to respectively build upon and mitigate them. This is all in service of the overarching goal of improving residents’ health and wellness. III. STORY EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES NEEDS ASSESSMENTSS Page 63 of 554