Newsom announced Sunday that he will ask allies in the Democratic-controlled Legislature for a measure on the 2024 ballot to authorize funding to build residential facilities where over 10,000 people a year could live and be treated.
With soaring mental illness among unhoused people, Long Beach is scrambling to bolster a mental health system falling far short of the moment.
Over the last several months, the Long Beach Post has been investigating why our city and so many others across the state seem unable to solve the problem of homelessness despite a record influx of money.
With more than 100,000 people living on California’s streets, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-of-its kind law on Wednesday that could force some of them into treatment as part of a program he describes as “care” but opponents argue is cruel.
Now that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s court system for people with severe mental illness cleared the state Legislature, counties face a series of practical questions critical to turning the fuzzy concept into a reality.
The city and county also have several mental health resources available to residents, including another hotline and a 24/7 mental health urgent care facility near Bixby Knolls.
While lawmakers are still gung-ho about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court, county officials are worried they don’t have the resources to implement the idea.
“The agreement enables us to tap additional resources to respond quickly to those in crisis with field-based mental health services, which means law enforcement is not the first responder,” Metro CEO Stephanie N. Wiggins said in a statement.
The campus is the first in the Cal State University system to have mental health professionals respond to mental health emergencies in place of campus police.
A big part of turning Gonzalez’s life around and one that continues to keep him centered and optimistic and far away from the dread and isolation of depression, is power breathing. And that’s something he wants veterans and others to master to improve their lives and their outlook.
