[All photos by Tony Valadez]
At the annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness in Philadelphia, PA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), I did graphic recording for a 3-day event that drew more than 700 attendees from around the globe including thought leaders, people with lived experience, medical professionals, lawyers, judges, advocates, artists, and funders — all working to build a world where mental illness is not a crime.
Centered on themes of (Re)Imagining, (Re)Considering, and (Re)Framing, the Summit asked: what is essential to decriminalize mental illness while exploring how to increase access to mental health care in communities throughout the United States.
Through keynotes, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and experiential learning, the Summit offered valuable insight into the greatest obstacles we face in the movement to decriminalize mental illness while considering tools that can be created or better utilized to increase access to mental health care.
