This week, NewDEAL Leader Burlington, VT Mayor Miro Weinberger reached an agreement with the city workers’ union that would make Burlington the first city in Vermont to offer paid family leave. The leave benefit will be offered immediately, with city workers eligible for four weeks of fully paid leave, and will scale up each year to add additional weeks of available leave at 60 percent payment. Check out an article for more details about this important benefit, which the mayor notes will help retain workers.

Judge Andy Brown is spearheading efforts to establish a mental health diversion center pilot program in Travis County. This program presents an alternative pathway to arrests, providing emergency responders and families with options, including psychiatric care, when dealing with those experiencing a mental health crisis. Brown emphasizes the need to create a more innovative, empathetic, and effective mental healthcare system and hopes to have the pilot program fully functioning ahead of the construction of a new mental health diversion facility in the county. A recent study revealed a rise in individuals with a mental health identifier in the county’s jail, underlining the growing need for this initiative. The pilot will also help individuals who are incarcerated receive psychiatric aid, and Brown is hopeful that these critical services will help with their long term outcomes.