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Monterey County Crisis & Personal Support Digest



Antidepressant Prescriptions to Young People Surged During the Pandemic

02/27/2024

The monthly rate of antidepressants being dispensed to young people increased about 64% more quickly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

California Hospitals, Advocates Seek Stable Funding to Retain Behavioral Health Navigators

02/26/2024

Health providers and addiction experts warn the funding structure is unstable for a California initiative that steers patients with substance use disorder into long-term treatment.

Your Guide to Proposition 1: Newsom’s Overhaul of California’s Mental Health System

01/31/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom crafted the measure to reform California’s mental health system, including a $6.4-billion bond for new facilities.

Bill Would Let Therapists and Social Workers Decide When to Confine Mentally Ill Californians

01/29/2024

A pending bill would extend the so-called 5150 confinement authority to county-designated psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and clinical counselors.

Gavin Newsom Raised Millions for His Mental Health Ballot Measure. His Opponents Have $1,000

01/28/2024

The March ballot measure would raise billions for mental health care, but some clinics fear it would strip them of revenue they need for services they provide today.

988-Hotline Counselors Air Concerns: More Training Needed to Juggle Calls

01/23/2024

In the year and a half since its launch, 988—the country’s easy-to-remember suicide and crisis hotline—has received about 8.1 million calls, texts, and chats. Curiosity is growing about the people taking those calls.

California Panel Holds Up Studies on Psychedelics. Some Researchers Want It Gone

01/19/2024

At the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, scientists are eager to explore whether a psychedelic chemical found in a toad could help people with depression. But research has been put on hold by the state.

San Diego County Schools Face Post-Pandemic Funding Woes

01/04/2024

San Diego Unified School District has received more than $700 million in federal and state relief funds since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with these funds ending, some schools could be facing serious deficits.

San Diego County Lacking Behavioral Health Beds

01/03/2024

County leaders in San Diego are gearing up for a March bond measure that could help provide more behavioral health beds. More beds are needed for areas like mental health and detox.

He Says He Was Abused in ICE Detention Even Though He is a Legal Resident of California. Now He’s Suing for $1 Million

12/21/2023

The 33-year old Mexican-born man—who from toddler age has been a permanent legal resident of California—has reported abuse, unsanitary conditions and threats of force-feeding before his release from immigration detention in April.

Domestic Violence Shelters Play a Key Role in Fighting Homelessness. Now They Face Deep Funding Cuts

12/19/2023

Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit new spending is unlikely.

Ohana Campus in Monterey Houses New Approach to Youth Mental Health

11/30/2023

Montage Health’s new Ohana Campus, which will house the first-of-its-kind program for California youth and families, was celebrated with an opening event for media and special guests.

Why It’s Taken So Long for the Golden Gate Bridge to Get a Protective Barrier

11/14/2023

Workers are in the final stages of a long, $217 million project: Install a protective barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge. Roughly 2,000 people have died by suicide jumping from the bridge since it opened in 1937.

Newsom Taking New Approach to California’s 10,000 Homeless Veterans

11/05/2023

California’s population of homeless veterans has plateaued despite billions of dollars in state spending to create housing for former service members. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to shift resources to focus on veterans with serious mental health conditions.

California Sues ‘Crisis’ Pregnancy Centers That Promise ‘Abortion Pill Reversal’

09/21/2023

Several anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers are advertising abortion pill reversal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the claims false advertising that mislead vulnerable patients.

‘We Are Horrified’: Late Changes to Newsom’s $6 Billion Mental Health Bond Surprise Providers

09/14/2023

California voters likely will see a mental health ballot measure on the March 2024 election. One would issue a $6 billion bond to create housing for people with mental illnesses.

Opioid Antidote Now Available in Drug Stores

09/12/2023

Naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the adverse effects of opioids, became available in drug stores last week. The drug is sold under the brand names Narcan and RiVive and can be purchased over the counter.

Tropical Storm Hilary Cost Farmworkers Hundreds of Dollars in Crucial Paychecks. But Help Is Not on the Way

08/29/2023

Many farmworkers in Coachella Valley lack legal status as citizens and don't qualify for most federal and state disaster aid. Even a new $95 million storm assistance program for immigrants that Governor Gavin Newsom recently touted is out of reach because it pertains to the winter and spring storms and floods.

8 Months After Storms, California Disaster Relief Flows Slowly to Undocumented Workers Who Lost Homes, Income

08/15/2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom promised $95 million would help undocumented workers rebuild after winter storms and floods. Months later, $18 million is being doled out and there are translation issues with the state’s website.

Newly Released Records Detail Health Care Failures at Monterey County Jail

08/10/2023

The medical and correctional staff at the Monterey County Jail had seen young David Sand before, which might explain why they ignored him and his obvious need for psychiatric care.

Millions of Californians Struggle to Get Enough Food Despite State’s Abundance

08/07/2023

How bad is California hunger? A lot depends on your access to food aid, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic but is being reduced.

New Biden Rules Put Asylum Seekers at California Border at Heightened Risk

08/06/2023

The Biden administration’s app rule makes it harder for migrants to assert a right to asylum, advocates say. Lawsuits are sparking debate about immigration control, safety.

A Year With 988: What Worked? What Lies Ahead?

08/01/2023

The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s 988 hotline marked its one-year milestone this month. Mental health experts say the three-digit number made help more accessible than before.

California Nurse Shortage Grows as Leaders Bicker Over How to Fill Jobs

07/30/2023

Some hospitals in Southern California have a nurse vacancy rate of 30 percent, stressing overworked staff and causing some to leave the industry earlier than they planned.

Los Angeles Homeless Population Grows. But Mayor Karen Bass Has Also Made Gains

07/26/2023

Despite efforts by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to shelter more than 14,000 people this year, the city's homeless population keeps growing. That does not necessarily mean her signature program is failing. The larger question: How does California measure success?

California Steps Up Efforts to Stem Violence Against Native Americans With Feather Alert System

07/06/2023

Today tribal leaders, local law enforcement and lawmakers gathered to learn how the a new tool—the Feather Alert—will work to help law enforcement quickly notify the public about missing Native Americans and enlist their aid.

Mental Health Providers Say New Medi-Cal Reform May Force Them to Cut Services

07/05/2023

Medi-Cal is changing how it pays mental health providers. Many of those providers say they may no longer be able to afford peer support specialists, home visits and other services.

ACLU Launches State’s 1st Database to Track Conditions in Immigration Detention Facilities

06/26/2023

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California launched the California Immigration Detention Database, a tool to track complaints filed by immigrants in California detention facilities to seek redress against inhumane conditions.

California Bill Could Help Improve Firefighters’ Mental Health

05/23/2023

After unanimously clearing the Senate, a bill expanding first responders' access to workers’ comp for PTSD moves to the Assembly.

Gonzales Youth Lead in Mental Health Education

05/20/2023

The Young Voices Media Project joined efforts with the California Youth Media Network to produce a series of stories on youth mental health.

California Confronts Overdose Epidemic Among Former Prisoners

05/10/2023

People newly released from prison are 40 times as likely to die of opioid overdoses than members of the general population, researchers say. In response, California corrections officials aim to arm departing inmates with an antidote that can be used to reverse the effects of opioid poisoning.

California May Change Its Mental Health Funding

04/03/2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to shift more money to housing severely mentally ill homeless people. Some officials at mental health organizations fear that funding will come from cuts to other services they provide.

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