Today, Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued this statement following a presentation about Los Angeles County’s implementation of Proposition 1 by top leadership from the County’s Departments of Mental Health and Public Health:
“My focus is to ensure Los Angeles County implements Prop 1 in a way that honors the vision of the voters who approved it. This new law is revolutionizing our approach to build more mental health and substance abuse beds for those with acute needs and nowhere to go.
It’s important to highlight that our County will undoubtedly need to continue working in close partnership with the State to ensure as much flexibility as possible so we can mitigate losses that’ll otherwise accompany the gains made by Prop 1.
People who need care beyond the stabilization offered by Prop 1 funded beds will face big gaps in care unless we are able to keep investing in the County’s outpatient provider network. That continuum of care is key to keep people from falling through the cracks and into homelessness.”