This week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria called out county government for not doing its share regarding behavioral health services and homelessness.
“It is…long past time for the County of San Diego to fulfill its responsibility on addressing homelessness in the region. Mental health and addiction are often at the core of homelessness. And behavioral health, mental health, and treatment for substance use disorders are all services that are supposed to be provided by county government. The City of San Diego does not have a Health and Human Services Agency. But the County does. They are the government entity vested with the responsibility and the funding for mental health….We did our part to prepare the region to receive new state-funded mental health and detox beds by amending our land use code to make it easier to permit treatment facilities. Not it’s time for the County to step up and deliver the behavioral health treatment they receive many millions of dollars to get the very sick people living on our streets the care they need….when they fail to live up to their obligations, we are all left picking up the pieces and paying the bills. It strains our police, paramedics and hospitals. We cannot afford to absorb the impact of their inaction any longer. My fellow San Diegans: it is my hope that anytime you see a person on the street suffering from extreme mental illness or addiction, that you think of the County of San Diego and ask them: When will they step up to provide the services needed to end this crisis?