Contra Costa County To Review Referral Policy for People With Mental Illnesses
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to review procedures for referring people with mental illnesses to service providers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The board's decision is motivated in part by a civil lawsuit alleging that Clayton Way House in Concord knowingly hired a three-time convicted sex offender as a live-in manager. The trial is scheduled to begin March 28.
Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier asked the county to review its policy on referring vulnerable clients, although the county did not refer patients to Clayton Way House. DeSaulnier said he will support state legislation that would prohibit sex offenders from working in settings that could compromise the safety of some people, including those with mental illnesses (Vega, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/2).
The board's family and human services committee will explore the development of new guidelines for client referrals for county-sponsored sites and present them to the board in four months.
DeSaulnier said the lawsuit raised concerns four years ago but added that the "whole situation seems much more egregious now" (Felsenfeld, Contra Costa Times, 3/2).