Sacramento County Crisis & Personal Support Digest

These professionals provide essential services, but their pay and working conditions do not reflect their value, and their health suffers.

The Living Room and the African American Suicide Prevention Project are presenting “Youth Mental Health First Aid,” Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, March 23. The virtual training instructs participants how to understand and identify signs of addiction and mental illness in youth.

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.

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.

The Table, an empowerment center for survivors of human trafficking and those at risk of exploitation, opened Jan 31 in downtown Sacramento.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass hosted Black mayors from around the country, taking them on a tour of the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village. The development offers wraparound mental health care and social services.

Black women have to confront race and gender discrimination in almost every facet of life—and it’s taking a toll on their mental health.

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

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.

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.

A summit on human trafficking awareness hosted by Project Take at Cal Expo showcased three survivors of human trafficking who shared their experiences with roughly 100 people, many of whom were women and teenagers.

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.

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 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.

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.

A new 24/7 mobile team at UC Davis is working to prevent crises before they happen, answering calls every day from students experiencing overwhelming stress and food and housing insecurity.

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.

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.

In Sacramento County, a new initiative is underway to make the area “friendlier” for people who have dementia and attempt to lower rates of the disease in the first place. Officials want more businesses to be able to see the signs, and for families to have more clarity on local resources.

Local barbers and the Greater Sacramento Urban League partner on a mental health program for Black men.

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.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a safe parking program in North Highlands. Once it opens, county staff said up to 30 people at a time will be able to park at the site on Watt Avenue, with access to showers, restrooms and at least two meals a day.

Five years ago, the Camp Fire disrupted lives, followed quickly by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving students in Paradise with few options to connect with others outside of the internet.

Internationally acclaimed activist and women’s rights warrior Angela Davis was in Sacramento speaking on solutions for ending domestic violence in the Black community.

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.

A Citrus Heights youth organization is frequently listed in police call logs, with its group homes drawing complaints from residents.

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.

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.

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.

Now community workers with the Neighborhood Wellness Foundation are testing out new approaches to lower drug-related deaths in the area.

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.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to overhaul how California counties pay for behavioral health care is one step closer to going before voters in March—over heavy opposition from patient advocates, service providers and local government officials.