Turning a Crisis Into Community Advocacy: Why I Joined the COMPASS Community Advisory Board

COMPASS Community Advisory Board (CAB) Member, Iva Johnson, explains that she joined the CAB after a frightening personal experience seeking help for her son during a mental health crisis. When officers arrived, one pulled a gun, though the other intervened and the family was ultimately able to get the son to accept help and go by ambulance. Motivated by how badly the situation could have ended, Ms. Johnson joined the CAB to ensure the community has a stronger voice—especially people who have faced similar crises. She believes that bringing her lived experience, even if it feels like a “small piece,” has helped spark stronger community-centered work. She describes seeing COMPASS present in neighborhoods—checking on people, connecting them to resources, and helping them avoid worse outcomes on the street. Seeing representation from communities across New Haven reinforced for her that this diverse community input is essential to COMPASS’s success.