Investigation Into Son’s Suicide, Reveals Flaws In California’s Mental Health Treatment Regulation
Rose and Allen Nelson were promised that the treatment facility where their son was getting mental health help would provide a top of the line team. After Brandon's suicide, they're trying to figure out what went wrong.
The Mercury News:
California Parents Trusted Their Son's Mental Health Treatment, But ‘Our System Failed Them’
It turns out that the Sovereign “step-down” house Nelson went to after release from a hospital was not licensed by the state as either a mental health facility or an addiction treatment facility. Nelson didn’t have a team of professionals overseeing his transition — he apparently didn’t even get his medications on time, according to his parents and police reports. (Sforza, 12/11)
In other news from across the state —
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Santa Rosa Mental Health Workers Strike At Kaiser, Asking For More Support
Kaiser Permanente mental health workers — many clad in red shirts — picketed Tuesday near the main entrance of the Santa Rosa medical center, as part of a weeklong strike at Kaiser hospitals statewide. Mental health workers here walked off the job, demanding that Kaiser improve the wait times for patients between their initial appointments and follow-up visits. They also said more staff is needed to treat the growing number of patients seeking mental health services. (Bordas, 12/11)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California’s Water Needs: A Balancing Act Sought By Feinstein, Brown
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is joining forces with House Republicans to try to extend a controversial law that provides more water for Central Valley farms, but with a sweetener for the environment: Help with protecting California’s rivers and fish. The proposed extension of the WIIN Act, or Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, would keep millions of federal dollars flowing for new dams and reservoirs across the West. (Alexander, 12/11)