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To alleviate the homeless crisis that is deeply affected by the mental health crisis, Mayor Breed must provide a fully supported system of mental health care within a safe place. First, San Francisco residents should credit Mayor Breed for appointing Dr. Anton Bland as the city’s very first Director of Mental Health Reform in March of this year because this will be the first step in reorganizing and assessing what is not working in the current mental health care system. Dr. Bland is currently the Medical Director at Psychiatric Emergency Services at San Francisco General Hospital, and Mayor Breed needs to work closely with him to avoid the city’s past irresponsible spending in behavioral health services. Careful review of the current system will cut costs and reallocate funds to the most needed sectors of the mental health care.
Mayor Breed needs to acquire funds from the Homelessness Tax (formerly known as Proposition C), which passed in November of 2018 to strengthen the mental healthcare system. This taxation will bring about $200-300 million annually for homelessness (Fracassa). According to SF Positive Resource Center (PRC)’s website, a nonprofit organization authorized by the city that helps individuals with mental health, substance abuse and HIV issues that operates 6 facilities that offer residential treatment programs for mental health programs, most of transitional homes have 11-16 beds, and they are full. Mayor Breed should use the funds to increase beds and hire more workers. Behavioral health departments, psychiatric emergency rooms, transitional homes and residential treatment homes constantly need intensive case management workers, social workers and nurses. Hiring more workers could mean each homeless individual will have a designated worker that will see them through the treatment. In addition, adequate staffing enables facilities to operate longer hours and allow homeless people to drop in any time of day or night.
In addition, Mayor Breed needs to create more facilities like Hummingbird Place, which acts as interim between psychiatric emergencies and the streets where homeless people can stay after they are being discharged from psychiatric emergency rooms. Hummingbird Place is the city’s only “behavioral health navigation center” among 6 others. This behavioral navigation center is located within San Francisco General Hospital Campus (run by PRC) where clients who are discharged from psychiatric emergency rooms can stay and receive intensive care treatment. The average stay for a client is 14 days and the facility is always full. In San Francisco Chronicle article written by Dominic Fracassa, “Navigation Center is a Respite from the Streets for Mentally Ill, Addicted,” Kelly Hiramoto, the director of SF Health Network’s Transitions with Department of Public Health, commented that Hummingbird Place uses a “low-pressure” approach (non-aggressive manner) to the clients to educate that there are options other than going back to the streets (Fracassa).
Mayor Breed needs to build more facilities like Hummingbird Place. Currently, Hummingbird Place has maintained a successful record of having nearly 1 out of 2 people accessing the Hummingbird Place exit to take another step out of homelessness at the end of 2018 (Fracassa). The successful record from Hummingbird Place confirms that transitional homes are necessary because individuals can have interrupted medical services within the safe environment and individuals receive support for transitioning out of the streets.
There is no simple solution to the homeless crisis. First and foremost, along with housing, Mayor Breed must facilitate these changes in the mental health care system so that there will finally be a significant dent in the homeless crisis. Once Mayor Breed continues to make positive changes, she will influence the community of San Francisco to participate in alleviating this crisis. The change also has to come from the community where there is a stigma towards homeless people because are victims of social inequality and not instigators of crime.
Works Cited
Fracassa, Dominic. “SF Mayor London Breed’s Prop. C Waiver Moves to Board of Supervisors.” San Francisco Chronicle, 3 April 2019. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-Mayor-London-Breed-s-Prop-C-waiver-moves-to-13739097.php
Fracassa, Dominic. “Navigation Center is a Respite from the Streets for Mentally Ill.” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Aug 2017. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Navigation-Center-is-a-respite-from-the-streets-12159777.php?psid=3jafV
“Social Rehabilitation.” Positive Resource Center,
https://prcsf.org/residential-services/
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First off, these posts are visually appealing. I appreciated how each visual was directly correlated with what you were talking about. This issue is also so interesting to read about. The correlation of homelessness and mental health disorders are so strong. This was very eye opening.
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Great call to action. In such a rich and modern city it is a shame that government can’t fix this problem. I like that you used a lot of sources for evidence.
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THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Salir you really identified the obstacles to finding a solution of an issue which affects all of us. I really appreciate your insight into the opposing sides. It is often difficult to exercise understanding when we feel a bias and are unable to empathize. Your objectivity on the issue itself while identifying a plausible next step is down to earth and considerate in a realistic fashion.
We live in a community that has a wide variety of members suffering in different ways. It is an important responsibility to consider our entire community and its well being. The data supporting your argument is solid and well rounded. A lot of effort went into your writing for the benefit of your readers.
Thank you.
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