State Gets $90M Grant To Help Curb Opioid Epidemic
The money will be used to get doctors on board with prescribing buprenorphine, an opioid addiction medication.
Capital Public Radio:
California Boosts Access To Opioid Addiction Treatments
Opioid addiction medications will soon be more accessible in California, thanks to a $90 million federal grant. One project the state is focusing on is helping more physicians prescribe a drug called buprenorphine. (Schilling, 4/28)
In other news —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego County Jails Make Changes To Treat Mentally Ill Inmates, Curb Suicides
For decades, jails throughout the state have operated as de facto mental health facilities, a trend that intensified in recent years after California changed its laws to keep some offenders out of the state’s overcrowded prison system. In San Diego County, where there were 12 inmate suicides in 2014 and 2015, Sheriff Bill Gore and his staff have been working to improve mental health services at the county jails to prevent more deaths. (Littlefield, 4/29)
Los Angeles Times:
'How Many People Are Being Shot?' L.A. Sheriff's Watchdog Decries Lack Of Transparency
A little more than two years ago, the primary watchdog over the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department laid out numerous ways the agency was failing to provide the public with basic information about how often deputies use force, the number of complaints alleging misconduct and how many deputies were being disciplined. This week, Inspector General Max Huntsman complained that little has changed. (Lau, 4/29)