California Health Report

Asylum Ruling Could Spark Deportations and Have ‘Chilling Effect’ on California Women

Immigrant women in California who are pursuing asylum after fleeing domestic violence in their homelands could face deportation in the wake of a ruling Monday by the Trump administration.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered immigration judges June 11 to stop granting asylum to the majority of people seeking the protection on grounds that they suffered domestic or gang violence in their home countries. The ruling could affect tens of thousands of domestic violence victims—mostly women—some of whom are detained in California while they await the outcome of their cases, advocates said.

After Ending Veteran Homelessness, Riverside Looks to Help the Rest

By Linda Childers

Riverside County effectively ended veteran homelessness last year. Now, the city of Riverside is hoping to use the same successful model to help non-veterans secure housing. The city has about 400 people living on the street.

California Advocates Outraged by Health Proposals Cut From Budget at 11th Hour

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Health advocates are decrying the budget deal reached between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders last week, calling it a missed opportunity to improve health care access for struggling Californians.

Women’s Need for Medical Care Spikes Following Sexual Assault, Study Finds

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Women who experience sexual assault are more likely to need medical care for mental health and stress-related problems in the year following the attack, new research suggests.

Health Care for Low-Income Californians, Homeless Patients a Focus in Upcoming Bills

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

The legislature is expected to vote this month on three bills that seek to safeguard and improve the health of Californian residents. The bills take aim at health disparities among people covered by the state’s low-income health program known as Medi-Cal and the improper discharge of homeless patients from the hospital.

Who Becomes Homeless? Data Paints a Startling Picture

By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil

“The vast majority of homeless people, what we see in every study—especially here, more than anywhere else—are low-income workers, people who have jobs who don’t make enough to meet the cost of housing,” said Brooke Weitzman, an attorney with the Santa Ana-based Elder Law and Disability Rights Center.

Bills Seek to Bolster Children’s Mental Health

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

As California struggles to meet children’s mental health needs, lawmakers are pressing for two bills that would take steps to address the problem.

The bills seek to strengthen mental health services for children and youth, either through targeted funding or by instituting new training requirements for people who regularly work with young people.

Opinion: Children in Child Care Need Environments that Encourage Active Play

By Victoria Tapia

With 434,000 children in subsidized child care and preschool in California, improving early-care environments across the state is crucial for our future. As a child-care provider in South Los Angeles, I know I could do more if I had additional resources.

CDC Data Shows Children’s Dental Health is Improving, But Barriers To Access Persist

By Ron Shinkman

New data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show’s children’s oral health has improved across the nation, but race-based gaps in the prevalence of dental cavities and their treatment persist.

We Need to Stop Normalizing Gun Violence

By Maritza Duran

As my generation has grown up, we have had to bear witness to more and more reports of gun violence—like the school shooting Friday in Santa Fe, Texas.

This is an issue so many people stand for, because it comes down to one basic thing: safety.

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