Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Homeless Californians Adapt To Camp Sweeps And ‘The Caltrans Shuffle’

KFF Health News Original

Communities across California, frustrated with the growing number of homeless people living on public property, have tasked police and sanitation workers with dismantling encampments they say pose a risk to health and safety. The routine cleanups have spawned another public health concern: the loss of the displaced people’s personal possessions, including medicines.

‘Warm’ Hotlines Deliver Help Before Mental Health Crisis Heats Up

KFF Health News Original

“Warmlines” are phone lines or electronic chat options for people who are not having a full-blown mental health crisis but who could use support to stave off one. They are a growing trend in mental health outreach to supplement existing hotlines, with one successful warmline in the Bay Area recently expanding to cover all of California.