UCSF licensed clinical social worker and UPTE member Juliette Suarez published an op-ed advocating for enhanced staffing standards for social workers at San Francisco General Hospital. The publication, prompted by the fatal stabbing of colleague Alberto Rangel, underscored persistent concerns regarding safety protocols, resource allocation, and compensation for social workers within the institution.
The court denied the request for release of the accused, citing their prior history of violence and possession of a weapon, despite the defense’s plan to provide housing and mental health treatment, and set the trial for June 29.
The THRIVE Act, AB 2247, is a proposed bill in California that would provide free and comprehensive mental health services to youth survivors of gun violence, emphasizing trauma recovery and long-term healing rather than punitive measures.
The SB 882 Advisory Council on Improving Interactions Between People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Law Enforcement issued a final report to the California Legislature, outlining recommendations to improve public safety and reduce harmful encounters between law enforcement and vulnerable community members.
The accused man in a felony assault case in Los Angeles County was evaluated by the Department of Mental Health, and the defense requested that he be referred to a locked facility for mental health treatment, but the prosecution argued that six months is not enough time and requested that he remain in LA County Jail.
Judge Danette C. Brown approved the modified supervised own recognizance release and criminal protective no-contact order for the accused, who has mental health needs, after Deputy Public Defender Stephen Betz argued that the accused’s mobility is not of his own volition and that caregivers need flexibility to provide care.
Advocates and lawmakers are calling for urgent intervention at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York due to multiple deaths and mounting reports of unsafe and inhumane conditions affecting transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex individuals, and are demanding an independent investigation into the unjustified uses of force.
A man with schizophrenia was remanded to custody and set bail at $10,000 after being denied reentry into a mental health facility and charged with felony vandalism, despite arguments from the defense and probation officer that he should receive mental health treatment.
An accused person pleaded with a judge to be released from jail in order to be present for the birth of their child and start a new job, but the judge denied the request and sentenced them to 25 days in jail.
During a pretrial conference, prosecutors questioned the validity of the defendant’s mental health diagnoses, while the judge allowed the psychiatrist to testify and suggested that the defendant could improve his life by entering a residential treatment program.
The Trump administration abruptly ended hundreds of federal grants supporting behavioral and mental health services, causing concern for addiction treatment, homelessness services and care for people with serious mental illness, but the decision was later reversed.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced over $419 million in new funding for homelessness in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, citing a 9% statewide reduction in unsheltered homelessness, the first such decline in over 15 years.
A coalition of civil rights organizations has filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging the Missouri Department of Mental Health is illegally leaving people with serious mental illness to deteriorate in jail without court-ordered treatment.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – While the beginning of Movember (Men’s Mental Health Month in November), a month…
Solitary confinement, or “the hole,” is a costly and unregulated practice that violates human rights, increases mental health diagnoses, and disproportionately affects people of color, with many arguing it should be banned.
Latino communities have used storytelling to demonstrate resilience in the face of Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, as highlighted by Sac State’s Immigrant Series, which featured stories of three Latina immigrant women.
The accused requested to be released to a residential treatment program for drug and mental health issues, but the motion was denied due to public safety concerns and pending blood test results, and the accused expressed confusion about the purpose of a preliminary hearing.
The Steinberg Institute released its yearly progress report for Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to transform California’s mental health and substance use care systems, which hosted a symposium, launched an Ideas to Action convening series, and recognized individuals through its Champions program.
The closure of the Daytime Respite Center in Davis has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness, including permanent housing, mental health and addiction treatment, and senior-specific support.
The stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train has been used as political capital to push an agenda against bail reform, but experts say the tragedy was due to a lack of meaningful intervention for someone with untreated mental illness.