Events

SETTING A NEW COURSE FOR DECRIMINALIZING MENTAL ILLNESS IN AMERICA

The Sozosei Foundation is pleased to invite you to the second Annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness.

December 13-15, 2021

This year, we are planning to host the Summit in-person in Philadelphia, PA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). However, we are closely monitoring the uptick in Covid cases and we are prepared to pivot to a virtual meeting pending CDC recommendations. If we are able to meet in Philadelphia as currently planned, portions of the Summit will also be live streamed for those who cannot or do not feel comfortable attending in person.

At the Summit, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate, create, and explore pathways to decriminalize mental illness with a particular focus on 988, the new national mental health crisis telephone line, due to go live in July 2022.

Call for PechaKucha Presentations

The Foundation is seeking PechaKucha concept statements from creative, curious, and innovative nonprofits and individuals whose work is moving the needle to advance the decriminalization of mental illness, particularly through the lens of 988 implementation and a robust crisis care continuum. You can read about PechaKuchas here. Selected PechaKucha concepts will be presented by their creators at the Summit on December 14, and will receive a grant in the amount of $5,000. For more details, please visit our How To Apply Page.

Call for Speakers

If you have ideas for speakers, resources related to 988 and the crisis care continuum, or other input for us regarding the 2021 Summit please email us at [email protected]

We also invite you to review our recordings and resources from the 2020 Summit that are linked below.

December 13, 2021 — December 15, 2021

Past Events

"A Brief History of the Criminalization of Mental Illness" A Virtual Book Club

A Virtual Book Club

June 4, 2021

11:30 am EDT

Please join the Sozosei Foundation on June 4 from 11:30 am – 1 pm EDT for a virtual book club featuring authors and renowned psychologist, Dr. Joel Dvoskin and renowned psychiatrist, Dr. James Knoll in conversation with Sozosei Board Member Mary Chi Michael, about their chapter, “A Brief History of the Criminalization of Mental Illness” from the recently released book, “Decriminalizing Mental Illness,” published by Cambridge University Press.

Learn more

SOZOSEI SUMMIT 2020

Setting the new course for decriminalizing mental illness in America

Dec 14 - 16, 2020

The inaugural Sozosei Summit on decriminalizing mental illness was a three-day event in December 2020. We were honored to have more than 200 multi-disciplinary stakeholders-including advocates, people with lived experience, policy makers, academics, philanthropic leaders, and other experts on mental health and criminal justice— share knowledge and perspectives focused on creating a future where mental illness is not treated as a crime in the United States.

Learn more