Using Stories To Mentally Survive As A COVID-19 Clinician
By Stephanie Stephens
The practice of narrative medicine helps health care professionals hear the life stories behind a patient’s immediate complaints. Some doctors are finding that these skills also provide an alcove of needed reflection amid the pandemonium of COVID-19.
‘Warm’ Hotlines Deliver Help Before Mental Health Crisis Heats Up
By Stephanie Stephens
“Warmlines” are phone lines or electronic chat options for people who are not having a full-blown mental health crisis but who could use support to stave off one. They are a growing trend in mental health outreach to supplement existing hotlines, with one successful warmline in the Bay Area recently expanding to cover all of California.
Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of California Crisis Pregnancy Centers In Case Related To Free Speech And Abortion
The California law at the center of the case required clinics that counsel women against abortion to inform clients of the availability of abortions paid for by the state. The justices ruled that the measure violates the First Amendment. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that California can use other means to tell women about the availability of the procedure, but it “cannot co-opt the licensed facilities to deliver its message for it.”
Should Proposition 64 Pass Or Go Up In Smoke?
By Stephanie Stephens
Two voices from law enforcement disagree on ballot measure to legalize marijuana.
LA Campaign Seeks Smokeless Apartment Buildings
By Stephanie Stephens
Survey shows even many landlords want to go along with smoke-free apartments.
CT Scans For Minor Injuries On A Rapid Rise In California Emergency Rooms
By Stephanie Stephens
Researchers say they’re reporting the facts, but not taking a stand on CT “overuse.”
New Programs Raise Bar for Behavioral Health in L.A. County, Statewide
by Stephanie Stephens, California Healthline Regional Correspondent
For those who deliver behavioral health services, the Excellence in Mental Health Act brings new opportunities to increase access to community mental health and substance use treatment.
New Preventive Health Program Helps South L.A. Seniors Get ‘HAPPI’
by Stephanie Stephens, California Healthline Regional Correspondent
Many South Los Angeles seniors are unaware of the availability of no-cost clinical preventive health services. The new “HAPPI” program aims to remedy that.
Evaluation Trumps Incarceration in L.A. Police Dept. Mental Health Efforts
by Stephanie Stephens, California Healthline Regional Correspondent
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Mental Evaluation Unit is winning rave reviews locally, in other states and from a few foreign countries, as well. Stakeholders say the program could be even better with more resources.
L.A. County Could Benefit From More Palliative Care Resources, Experts Say
by Stephanie Stephens, California Healthline Regional Correspondent
As palliative care comes into its own as a medical subspecialty, payers, providers and consumers in Los Angeles County recognize the benefits while facing a shortage in supply and uneven distribution of services.
