Humboldt County

Just wanted to thank all the people in Humboldt County who welcomed and hosted me during my day there on Tuesday of last week. I had a really wonderful day of meeting people in the mental health community in Humboldt County, and of touring and learning about the county's mental health programs. The county has done an outstanding job of delivering services, despite insufficient resources. The Humboldt County folks have the energy and dedication, and Prop. 63 will fulfill the promise and give them the resources they need to meet the need for mental health services in the county.

Humboldt County, like many others in the state, has an AB 34 program that is very successful, and is achieving very positive employment and education performance outcome measures for clients in the program. The county uses contract providers to provide supported employment to people in the AB 34 program, and also has a cooperative program with the State Department of Rehabilitation to provide vocational services to clients. Humboldt has a dedicated group of people who are helping others gets their lives on track.

The Board of Supervisors in Humboldt presented me with a resolution of appreciation for the AB 34 bill I authored in 1999, and I was honored to receive that. I want to thank the board, Lance Morton, the Humboldt County Mental Health Branch Director, Assembly Member Patty Berg, my colleague with whom I shared lunch on Tuesday, Pamlyn Millsap, the Homeless Coordinator for Street Outreach Services, and all of the other people who welcomed me to Humboldt County.

Please continue to talk with and email your friends and colleagues about Prop. 63, and don't be shy about asking for their vote. We've put in so much work, and we have only one more day to make Prop. 63 the law in California.

Comments

[Stella March]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg for your courage. dedication and action responding for the basic needs of all individuals with a mental illness and their families. Your success with AB 34 with its wondrous outcomes for homeless people living with their mental disorders indicated both cost and human effectiveness.

The same will hold true for Prop 63 which will bring, finally, the funding for the treatent and care required and deserved by our loved ones who struggle daily with a severe mental illness that is diagnosable and treatable. Prop 63 will build a road to recovery and wellness for which we and they live and hope.

On behalf of NAMI families and our loved ones, we thank you and appreciate all that you have done and believe you will continue to do in the future.

Stella March.

[Marissa]

With just one day remaining before the election, I wanted to take a little time out to voice my appreciation for all that Assemblymember Steinberg has done; not only for Prop 63, but for California’s mental healthcare system on the whole. I have been a strong supporter of Prop 63 for the last few months, and recently I got the chance to accompany Mr. Steinberg on a hectic day of Prop 63 activities in L.A. I was not only enlightened as to the incredible amount of work involved with spearheading a California ballot campaign, but also to what a truly selfless person and professional Mr. Steinberg is. But you don't have to spend a day in traffic with him to make this realization:

-To know the wonderful things that Mr. Steinberg has already accomplished for mental health, and to know that his interest lies only in improving care for all Californians, one need only look at the proven successes of California programs funded by his AB-34 bill.

-To know how much he has sacrificed to educate Californians about Prop 63 in the last few months, one need only look at his packed schedule of speeches, fundraisers, and appearances.

-To know the heartfelt respect and genuine concern he has for not only this issue, but for all people in general, one need only watch him interact. He treats his biggest opponent with the same respect that he gives his greatest supporter, and always takes time out to engage in discussion with those that approach him.

It is truly inspiring to know that there are politicians left who are in it for the greater good. If the opposition was not clouded by their own ulterior motives when personally attacking Mr. Steinberg, they would know it, too.

We're in your corner, Assemblymember. Because we know you're in ours.

[Worried]

Many people are opposed to Prop 63 because it is fiscally irresponsible. But I'm more worried about the ethical ramifications.

Look at how the State Dept. of Mental Health has been operating:

Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk infringed upon patients' First Amendment rights in not allowing them to communicate freely with government investigators. In spite of that, the U.S. Dept. of Justice found hundreds of cases of assault, injury, rape and neglect. If it were just inadequate food or supplies, I would agree it's a budget problem. But State Mental Hospital personnel clearly do not have the well-being of their patients at heart, and there's no reason to believe that more money will change that.

The entire California State Mental Hospital system is under Dept. of Justice investigation now, which is probably why this fundraising scam has been brought to the (gullable, they hope) voters - they can't easily hide this from State legislators and treasury.

Psychiatric treatment these days consists primarily of the use of anti-depressant drugs, which an FDA study found can increase risk of suicide by 200-300%. Is this really "help"?

The Dept. of Mental Health has also been penalized $73.3 million for false Medicaid claims. While these psychiatrists were busy filing false claims, were they helping the mentally ill?

Prop 63 will promise lots of money to the same people who committed these crimes, expressly without oversight or accountability. This is not about helping the mentally ill. It is a horrible scam.

Don't fall for the lies and treachery. Vote NO ON PROP 63!

[school_dubl]

Happy New Year! Happiness and success in 2011.