A Holistic Approach to Healing Homeless Youth

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The State of California is experiencing a homelessness crisis, with more people experiencing homelessness than ever before. Recent estimates by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness' 2022 Point in Time Count indicate there are 8,427 homeless individuals in San Diego County - the fourth largest homeless population in the nation. Homeless people in California have faced growing punishment for their mere presence in public space. In a recent report, researchers from UC Berkeley School of Law identified over 500 California municipal laws criminalizing sitting, resting, sleeping and sharing of food in public places. This presentation will utilize an interactive activity that requires participants to reflect on the web of systematic criminalization of homelessness and recognize why multi-disciplinary services are most needed. Moreover, we will discuss the power of holistic support in breaking the chains of poverty and how using an empowerment model can increase degrees of autonomy and self-determination.

Participants will learn about counterproductive laws that criminalize poverty and life sustaining activities such as sitting, resting, sleeping and sharing of food in public places and how these laws cycle people into the criminal legal system and further entrench people into poverty.
Participants will participate in interactive activities that requires participants to reflect on the web of systematic criminalization of homelessness.
Participants will learn why multi-disciplinary services are most needed, the power of holistic support in breaking the chains of poverty and how using an empowerment model can increase degrees of autonomy and self-determination.

Mitchelle Woodson, Esq.

Executive Director, Managing Attorney

Think Dignity

Mitchelle Woodson joined the Think Dignity staff in 2017. As the Executive Director, Mitchelle oversees the daily management of Think Dignity’s operations, including the Transitional Storage Center, Mobile Operations of Dignity and legal department. As the Managing Attorney, Mitchelle oversees the Homeless Youth Legal and Advocacy Project, the 8 Legal and Referral Advocacy Clinics and the Know Your Rights campaign that aims to empower individuals with knowledge of their legal rights. Mitchelle’s passion for advocating for San Diego’s homeless community has led to the growth and notoriety of TD as the premier organization for legal representation and advocacy. Her expertise and knowledge is highly sought after as she has presented at Yale Law School’s Rebellious Lawyering Conference, National Legal Aid and Defenders Association’s Annual Conference and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice on the issues of homelessness and poverty law. Mitchelle has also received recognition for her advocacy efforts as the recipient of the 2019 Molina Community Champion Award, Rise San Diego’s 2020 Anthony M. Medina’s People’s Champion Award, San Diego County’s 2021 Community Inspiration Award, Business for Good’s 2022 Housing and Homelessness Hero Award, and Alliance San Diego’s 2023 inaugural Leo Carrillo Change Agent award. Mitchelle is a founding member of FREE-SD, which utilizes the approach of participatory defense, a community organizing model that aims to empower people facing charges and their families to transform the landscape of power in the courtroom; and the DeDe McClure Community Bail Fund, a grassroots organization committed to educating and empowering community members to fight against the devastating effects of the cash bail system and supporting those who have been victimized by it. Mitchelle received her Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of California San Diego.