Santa Cruz County Local News: Health

A Santa Cruz County Grand Jury report determined that the Behavioral Health Division struggles to meet the county’s mental health needs, and has neither the fiscal means nor staff resources to do the job.

An organization that helps men break free from drug and alcohol addiction officially broke ground on June 21 on a new Behavioral Health Center on Miles Lane in Watsonville.

Lack of staff and programs, improper usage of facilities, and mistreatment of inmates, including the mentally ill, were all found during the report.

Santa Cruz County has launched a free water quality testing program that includes opportunities for Point of Use treatment and drinking water replacement for residents of Santa Cruz County who rely on household groundwater wells for their drinking water.

Several community leaders and community members gathered at MacQuiddy Elementary School Tuesday evening to call on Driscoll’s, Reiter and other companies to stop using toxic pesticides around schools.

California voters narrowly passed Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure to fund mental health housing. He’s prodding counties to use the money quickly.

A local group is calling on the nation’s largest berry grower to cease the use of pesticides on farm fields located near schools.

Santa Cruz has a powerful activist history, and one of the most impressive outcomes for our county emerged from the Women’s Health Collective of the early 70’s.