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Advocacy and Empowerment Program.
Advocacy is a process.
Self Advocacy is the ability to articulate one's needs & make informed decisions about the support necessary to meet those needs.
Empowerment is preparing people to take control.
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Do you know anyone or does someone in your family have Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)?
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Are you a caregiver or advocate?
This is the program for you!
Upcoming AEP Session: August 16th at 11:00 AM
Featuring: Lamar Jones
Championing Mental Health Equity & Uplifting Communities of Color
Lamar Jones currently serves as a clinical therapist with Blended Roots Therapy through the Cayenne Wellness Center program, where he provides culturally responsive mental health services to people of color, particularly men of color and individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease. Over the past year and a half, Lamar has supported this community with compassion and purpose, describing the experience as both an honor and a deepening of his life’s calling.
Lamar is a dedicated social worker with a strong commitment to addressing systemic inequities in low-income and marginalized communities, approaching these issues through a lens of cultural humility and equity. A two-time graduate of the California State University system, he earned his B.A. in Sociology from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, and an M.S.W. from California State University, Northridge, where he specialized in urban populations.
In his current role as Program Specialist and Data Analyst for the Umoja Program at Fullerton College, Lamar provides vital resources and holistic support to over 300 students, empowering them to achieve academic and personal growth. His work goes beyond the classroom—he is a consistent force in community advocacy and student-centered activism.
Lamar’s community involvement includes organizing and participating in protests for student rights, immigrant justice, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Stop Asian Hate movement. He’s served meals and hope on Skid Row, worked with the L.A. County Department of Education, and represented students on the admissions committee at Cal State Northridge. His efforts to close equity gaps were highlighted when he presented at the EOP&S 53rd Annual Conference and hosted Fullerton College’s first Black Graduation ceremony in the Spring of 2024.
As a former foster youth and advocate for that community, Lamar has remained deeply involved in mentoring, currently guiding students through the Mentor Match program at Fullerton College. He has also shared his journey and insights on panels at Cal Poly Pomona and the Ontario-Montclair School District. Whether through therapy, education, or grassroots advocacy, Lamar Jones is a powerful voice for social justice, a mentor to the next generation, and a tireless advocate for equity, particularly for those often overlooked, such as individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Schedule (Presenter List):
All of the presenters have been confirmed.
* If you register and attend several sessions, you can receive a SCAA Health and Wellness backpack. The items inside the backpack include assorted essentials you can utilize when going to the hospital, during your stay at the hospital and when you are leaving the hospital. *
Items inside the backpack include:
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Blanket
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Water Bottle
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Journals
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Pen
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Hertz Nazaire Coloring Book
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50 Coloring Pencils
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Mindfulness links/recording - Jason
Program Details:
Location: Virtual Only on Zoom
Meetings Times: 11am to about 1pm
Description:
The program is created for all stakeholders (clients, caregivers, medical students, medical professionals and advocates). It is designed to explore advocacy and educate to be empowered. There will be a variety of presenters’ clients, nurses, physicians and key professionals sharing and discussing issues to engage attendees.
The Advocacy and Empowerment Program is comprised of two primary segments.
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The first portion of the webinar is designed to introduce the audience to core educational content.
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The second portion of the webinar is the implementation of the educational content learned, with journaling, along with discussions pertaining to real-world experiences
