Mental Health Treatment May Be Mandatory Under New California Law

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(ProsperNews.net) – A new California law will give the state power to force people to undergo mental health treatment. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 43, which extends the definition of “gravely ill” to include people suffering from mental conditions including addictions, and renders them incapable of caring for themselves and as such, eligible for state-funded treatment.

“We are working to ensure no one falls through the cracks, and that people get the help they need and the respect they deserve,” Governor Newsom said. However, civil liberties groups have expressed concerns that the state may be overreaching. Samuel Jain, an attorney with Disability Rights California, said, “For no one to oppose this huge erosion of civil rights is just really concerning,” adding that he believes the legislation won’t make a dent in the number of homeless people sleeping on California’s streets as Mr. Newsom hopes.

The Golden State has the highest homelessness rate in the nation and Newsom believes new powers to provide mental health treatment will help to solve the problem. A study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that the primary cause of homelessness is not mental health problems, but high rents. Dr. Margot Kushel from the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative said people just can’t afford housing and they have few options when they get into financial difficulty.

There are more than 170,000 homeless people in California and despite high government spending and a range of policy ideas, the problem refuses to go away. One of the latest initiatives is the construction of “tiny homes” – small cabins that will be built in disused business parks and measure around 11 square feet. They can be built in a short time and Governor Newsom has promised 350 for Sacramento, 500 for Los Angeles, 200 in San Jose, and 150 for San Diego.

The timing of the project is unclear, however. Months after deciding to proceed, Governor Newsom still has not hired a company to carry out the development.