GME TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 1932 a) Affiliated with the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS v5) = To whom it may concern, We, the undersigned employees of the Medical and Mental Health Division of GEO Secure Services, would like to take a moment of your time and explain what the closing of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center would mean for us. The medical department here at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center is providing a service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. More importantly, we are serving a highly diverse population that requires a very distinct approach to their care. Our patients often come from regions of the world that are not privy to adequate health care. Consequentially, many of them have never seen a medical professional. The rate of communicable diseases within this population is high. If these patients were to enter the community without a medical evaluation, it would become a concern for public health, In our state-of-the-art facility, we are providing new and innovative pathways to treatment, while simultaneously confronting medical scenarios that many medical professionals will never encounter. Along with superior medical treatment, our Mental Health Program addresses mental health difficulties arising from unexpected and life altering events. Unfortunately, due to the special circumstances surrounding our patient population, trauma is common. Most of these experiences transpire within their own countries and/or during their journey to seek asylum. Without a forum for the treatment of the traumas and mental disorders upon entry to the U.S., they are much more likely to further burden the state's medical and mental health systems. Mental Health services at Adelanto is a key priority of GEO and ICE with a major focal point on trauma-informed care. As a result, we have been able to reduce stigmas among those coming from the California Bureau of Prisons. With this reduction in stigmas, our patients have been able to seek treatment with acceptance and learn that they are not “damaged goods” because of their disorders. Removing barriers faced in prison has made our patients healthier and more willing to seek and ask for help within our facility and their families. Many patients have expressed gratitude for helping them to improve their behavioral health and are often surprised that they could be helped within this area. They have also expressed that their encounter with Mental Health has been life changing for the better. Ofer: $83 Sierr Way, San Bernardino CA 92410~ Mail .0. 432, San Bernardino CA 92402 Phone: (909) 8598377 ~ Fax: (908) 888-7429 ~ Web: wuns.ieamsers1992.078TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 1932 Affiliated with the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS Our Mental Health department ensures that all people entering this facility are treated with respect, dignity, acceptance, compassion, and empathy. This ensures that our patients receive the best possible care. The core values of the Mental Health department allow patients entering our care to feel safe and heard, in many cases for the first time in their lifetime. Many of us see our work as much more than providing healthcare. It is a way to serve the greater good. Those of us who have chosen this profession did not do so with the intent of becoming wealthy. We chose this craft with the intent to provide care for a special population of people. This is not only the desire, but the passion that drives those of us in the medical profession to do what we do. In closing, we ask that you have the Department of Justice (DOJ) lift the court order that prevents intake and keep the Adelanto ICE Processing Center open. This will allow us to continue being the front line for public health and trauma-informed care. It is our obligation to provide this service, not just to the community of Adelanto, but also to our great nation. We are setting the precedence. Thank you for your time and careful consideration. Sincerely, 7 a N. Payne, RN Kelly Higgins, LVN faclyn Banks, LVN Shop Steward ‘Shop Steward ‘Shop Steward fice: 483 % Sterr Way, San Bernardino CA 92410 ~ Mall P.O. 432, San Bernardino CA 92402 ‘Phone: (909) 89-8577 ~ Fax: (909) 88-7429 ~ Web: wroweamsters1932.0r¢