Esteban Garcia

Los Angeles, CA – This morning, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Chair Janice Hahn and coauthored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to accept $321,189,238 in state funds for the creation of housing beds for unhoused people experiencing serious mental health and/or substance abuse challenges. The funds come from the state’s Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program, and will be prioritized for participants in the County’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court program which will launch this December.
“We’re just six months from getting our mental health and substance abuse CARE Court up and running in Norwalk and having dedicated housing with treatment available for unhoused clients is going to be essential,” said Chair of the Board Janice Hahn. “CARE Court is a massive undertaking and I appreciate the State for coming through for us with this funding so that we can make sure we are prepared with the beds and treatment these clients will need on day one.”
The vote authorizes the County’s Department of Mental Health to accept $259,280,749 in funds, and the Department of Public Health to accept $61,908,489. Dr. Lisa Wong, Psy.D., Director of Mental Health, and Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, answered questions from supervisors about potential uses for the funds. Dr. Wong emphasized that this funding would go to projects that can get up and running quickly. The Departments are now able to move forward quickly with releasing the solicitation, entering into contracts with providers, and begin hiring as needed.
“These funds will go a long way in helping our county get CARE Court ready,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “We will significantly expand the number of beds and housing subsidies that we can use to support and heal our homeless residents experiencing severe mental illness and addiction. This funding commitment from the state will help us make sure more beds are available to residents, countywide. We need to continue building up our infrastructure so we can provide equal access.”
Los Angeles County is among the first cohort of counties expected to implement its CARE Court program, with an opening date of December 1 of this year. CARE Court, which will operate out of the Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Norwalk, will serve people experiencing serious mental health disorders through court-ordered care that could include medications, wellness and recovery supports, and connection to social services and housing.

I know that public safety has become a top concern for many residents of the Palos Verdes Peninsula communities. I have heard concerns from many about recent property crimes. I have invited Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna to a town hall meeting in RPV next month so we can hear more about the issues you’re facing and discuss possible solutions going forward.

RSVP by email at fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov, or call (310) 519-6021.

County will use Emergency Declaration to Hire Needed Staff Quickly

Los Angeles, CA – Today, led by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to prepare for the launch of CARE Court on December 1, 2023. CARE Court, a new initiative championed by Governor Newsom and passed into law by the State Legislature, aims to fix the ongoing challenge of getting people with severe mental illness the support and care they need.
“We have been struggling for decades to figure out a way to get real, compassionate help to people with severe mental illness, and I believe CARE Court could be the missing piece of the puzzle,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Our December 1 launch date is coming up quickly and there is plenty of work we need to do to be prepared to provide CARE Court clients with the care they need and support their concerned family members on day one.
CARE Court will provide upstream treatment opportunities to individuals suffering from severe mental health disorders, especially schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorders, and are unable to make their own medical decisions by authorizing specified people, like family members, to petition a civil court to create a CARE plan for that individual.
“This motion is about our County proactively preparing for CARE Court. Staffing up is key so that we’re ready to help the gravely disabled – they’re the intended clients and their needs are complex. Our Department of Mental Health is the lead implementation agency and I support moving forward, but there are still a lot of questions about how referrals will be accepted and managed that need to be answered. A lot of good can be achieved. We need to work in close partnership with the state so we get this right and are set up to succeed. We can’t squander this opportunity.”
The Board passed a motion today, authored by Hahn and Barger, directing the LA County Department of Mental Health to recruit and hire new employees to support the CARE Court program and use the Board’s emergency authority under the recently declared Homelessness Emergency to expedite hiring. The motion also directs County staff to identify potential properties and facilities that are needed to support CARE Court, to develop a referral system to connect CARE Court clients with substance use treatment, to implement a peer supporter program for CARE Court participants, and to report back in 90 days with progress made towards CARE Court implementation.
“December 1st is just around the corner and so much needs to be done,” commented Mike Molina, who serves on the LA County Commission on Mental Health. “We need emergency appointments. We need treatment facilities identified, prepared and staff hired. We need coordination with the courts and all agencies involved. And we need a full and comprehensive communications plan so that County residents clearly know the options and services offered to them through CARE Court. This Motion is just what we need to fast-track the work ahead in the next six months.”
Under SB 1338, every county in the state must implement CARE Court. The County of Los Angeles will be part of the first group of California counties to implement CARE Court starting with one courtroom and one judge in the LA County Superior Court Courthouse in Norwalk.
Governor Newsom’s May Revision to the state budget proposes to allocate $15 million to Los Angeles County to implement CARE Court. The revision also identified $151 million in ongoing funds to support CARE Courts statewide although LA County’s allocation is unknown at this point.
Today’s motion passed in a 4-1 vote with Supervisors Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger, Hilda Solis, and Holly Mitchell voting for the motion and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath voting against it.

We know that when guns are present, our homes and communities are less safe. While we continue to demand action from Congress, I am doing everything in my power to reduce the number of guns on our streets. This is an opportunity for residents to participate in making their own communities safer.

This event is totally anonymous. We will not ask for any information from you.

There are important guidelines to participating in the buy-back that ensure the safety of the public and LBPD officers. Firearms must be brought unloaded in the trunk of a vehicle and are not permitted on any Metro or Long Beach Transit vehicle. Pedestrian walk-ups will not be accepted. Participants can choose from an assortment of gift cards, including gift cards that can be redeemed on Amazon.

Los Angeles, CA – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared June 2, 2023, Gun Violence Awareness Day in Los Angeles County. The declaration, brought forward by Chair of the Board Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, is meant to draw attention to the devastation caused nationwide by gun violence and urge Congressional leaders to act.

“The nationwide gun violence crisis continues to plague our community,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Just last week, Long Beach lost 12-year-old Eric Gregory Brown III in a senseless drive-by shooting.  We know that so many of these deaths are preventable and if we hope to ever get action from Congress, we can’t stay quiet. We have to demand action for the sake of our children.”

The proposal to declare Gun Violence Awareness Day came to Hahn’s office from Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization that advocates for public safety measures to protect people from gun violence. June 2^nd is significant because it is the birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl from Chicago who was playing in a park with her friends when she was tragically shot and killed, just one week after performing at President Obama’s inauguration in 2013.

“Enough is enough,” said Supervisor Solis. “We need real solutions and real action.  I am proud of our collective record of standing with victims and survivors of gun violence and fighting for responsible gun safety. And in proclaiming June 2nd as Gun Violence Awareness Day, we are showing our over 10 million residents, our over 100,000 employees, and the nation, that LA County will continue to demonstrate its support to making our communities safer.”

Members of the organization testified at today’s Board Meeting, urging residents to wear orange on June 2^nd. Orange was selected because it is the color hunters wear to prevent themselves from being shot.

At today’s meeting, Moms Demand Action volunteer Heather Jones spoke to the board about heartbreaking questions she got from her six and ten-year-old children who worried they would be shot and asked where they could be shot and still live.

Supervisor Hahn has led the effort at the Board to put in place new gun violence prevention ordinances that put new regulations on gun dealers and prevent the sale of .50 caliber weapons and ammunition. She has also held gun buyback events across her district which have taken 814 guns off the streets.  Hahn’s next gun buyback is in coordination with the Long Beach Police Department on June 10, 2023, from 7:00am-5:00PM at MacArthur Park located at 1321 E Anaheim St, Long Beach.  Residents are encouraged to turn in firearms in exchange for gift cards– no questions asked.

Pico Rivera, CA – On Friday morning, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn and LA County Department of Mental Health Director Lisa Wong, Psy.D., unveiled a new campaign to prevent school shootings and school violence. The new education campaign features social media ads and in-school posters to encourage high school students to contact the County Department of Mental Health’s School Threat Assessment Response Team (START) if they witness concerning or threatening behavior by a fellow student.

The START program consists of mental health professionals who work with schools and law enforcement and respond to calls about concerning behavior that could potentially lead to school violence. When contacted about a student who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the team comes in to assess the level of risk and provide targeted intervention to the student.

Up until now, however, trainings and advertisement of the START program has been aimed at teachers, school administrators, and other school staff.  Studies have shown that many youth who commit acts of violence at school discuss or mention their plans beforehand, often on social media and to other students.  Targeted intervention can successfully prevent violence, and it is important that programs like START are informed about early warning signs.

“If one of our students witnesses something that doesn’t feel right, they need to know there is someone they can call who can step in and help,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “We are blanketing social media with these ads so we can reach as many LA County students as possible with this information.”

Examples of START social media ads

The new campaign unveiled by Supervisor Hahn and Director Lisa Wong on Friday morning at a press conference the El Rancho Youth Center in Pico Rivera aims to reach high school students with information about START.

The campaign includes a video PSA, ads that will run on popular websites like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch and Facebook, and posters that have been distributed to more than 200 schools countywide.  The campaign’s tagline, “If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t,” was developed through focus groups with local students.

“The START Campaign hopes help students recognize that when something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. This campaign empowers students to make a difference in their lives, and the lives of fellow students who may be on a path to violence, but could benefit from services and intervention,” said Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “Studies have shown that many youth who commit acts of violence at school either discuss or mention their plans beforehand, often to other students and on social media. And studies have shown that by providing early intervention services to students who are posing threats, students’ outcomes can be positively impacted by connecting them to services and providing the support needed to succeed. By speaking directly to young people, the campaign encourages direct referrals to START from them when they recognize concerning behaviors by fellow students.”

START PSA now up on YouTube

The campaign’s PSA features a real student named Mia Tretta who survived a shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita in 2019.  Mia’s best friend, Dominic Blackwell, was shot and killed.  Since the shooting, Mia has become a passionate anti-gun violence activist.

The $547k campaign is funded through MHSA funds.

START Student Outreach Campaign Materials:

1. Vimeo: Social Media Video Ad
2. YouTube: Mia PSA Video
3. Poster
4. Social media ad screenshots

START Youth Website: START Information for Youth & School Community – Department of Mental Health (lacounty.gov)