People experiencing homelessness face repeated violence and stress from a lack of safety. They often engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as substance use, to cope.
A comprehensive strategy to reduce exposure to violence for people who are unhoused can reduce violence in the community as a whole, reduce public spending on emergency medical and other services and increase the chances that individuals can transition off the streets.
Thousands of families lost their homes that swept through Los Angeles County in early January. Local and state disability advocates said they have been checking in with families and trying to provide support as they adjust to life after the fires.
Let me introduce you to some people whose lives would be upended if Republicans in Congress carry through with plans to decimate health care funding that covers 15 million Californians.
They are my neighbors and friends here in Laguna Woods, a small Orange County community in which 83 percent of residents are over 65.
As a doctor of orthopedic physical therapy, I’ve treated numerous patients dealing with severe pain who were at risk for or already have opioid use disorder. This condition not only causes suffering for the patient, but also for their loved ones.
Most tragic of all is that it could be prevented with better access to alternative pain treatments covered by the patient’s health plan.
The Sisters Rise Circle is one of about a dozen circles run by Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, a nonprofit based in Oakland that uses restorative practices to address conflict and promote healing.
Organizers launched the circle last fall as part of a response to what they saw as a large, unmet need among the communities and families they serve.
Medicaid — which provides health coverage for almost 15 million Californians and about half of the state’s children — could face billions of dollars in federal cuts under a budget proposal from House Republicans.
That’s alarmed families like the Pequeños, who rely on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, to pay for medical care and other support for their children with chronic conditions.
My son is able to live at home with our family, attend school and interact with the world because we live in a nation where disabled people have civil rights.
When I hear President Trump talk about eliminating diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility, he’s not just attacking civil rights for disabled people — he’s sending a message to kids like my son that they don’t belong.
More than 10,000 unaccompanied youth have entered California each year since 2020, most of them leaving violence or insecurity in Mexico and Central America.
Even after resettling in their new homes, many struggle to access culturally competent mental health care. In response, Community Justice Alliance has helped its youth clients build community and express themselves creatively.
The Victim Offender Education Group, a restorative justice-centered program at a prison in Chino, is working to rehabilitate people who have caused harm.
The curriculum is grounded in principles of restorative justice, commonly defined as an alternative to punitive justice that promotes healing for the person who was harmed, the person who carried out the harm, and both of their communities.
Founded more than 20 years ago, Street Level Health Project started with a handful of nurses and volunteers visiting day laborer sites in East Oakland to provide medical assistance and other resources to newly arrived immigrants.
Volunteer nurses also noticed signs of hunger among the men, with some going days without eating a proper meal.