Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10 announced he signed the first of a series of bills aimed to transform California’s mental health system. Depending on who you ask, this transformation represents a long overdue humanitarian response — or a worrisome step backward on civil liberties. The governor’s Oct. 10 signature loosens long-standing rules about who […]
Jocelyn Wiener
Jocelyn Wiener is a contributing writer to CALmatters.
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Shlomo Rechnitz Nursing Home Suit Over COVID Deaths Reflects ‘Broken State Licensing’
The state’s largest nursing home owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, is facing a lawsuit alleging that one of his homes is responsible for the COVID-related deaths of some 24 elderly and dependent residents. The catch? Five years ago, the state denied Rechnitz and his companies a license to operate the place, the state’s own records show. The […]
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‘People are Dying as We Wait’: Bid to Tighten California Nursing Home Oversight Sputters
An effort to fix problems with the oversight of California’s nursing homes has stalled, sparking fears that the bill is doomed — and prompting elder care advocates to warn that even a delay jeopardizes residents’ safety. “I’m incredibly frustrated,” said Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi of Los Angeles, author of Assembly Bill 1502. “The pandemic has […]
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Mental Health ‘Tsunami’ Looms: Can California Prevent a Surge in Suicides?
Celinda Gonzales has a long list of worries: She worries about COVID-19, which recently spiked near the Yurok reservation where she lives in Humboldt County. She worries about the wildfires threatening her remote, forested town, Weitchpec. She worries about gill rot and algae blooms in the Klamath and Trinity rivers, which join together just over […]
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California’s Jails and Prisons Becoming Ground Zero in the State’s Mental Health Crisis
Jeffrey Jurgens stood in a cage in an orange jumpsuit, screaming that he was Jesus Christ. From her seat in the Sacramento courtroom, his mother watched through tears. Joanna Jurgens knew how important it was for the district attorney prosecuting Jeffrey for stealing a car — and the judge deciding his fate — to see […]