Black Los Angeles County Client Coalition, Inc.

Stakeholder Comments on Health Homes for Patients with Complex Needs

ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK LOS ANGELES COUNTY CLIENT COALITION, WHO IS FIGHTING TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMER IN GENERAL ACCORDING TO OUR MISSION AND VISION. ON THE AVERAGE, MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS DIE 25 YEARS SOONER THAN NON-CONSUMERS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS EXPERIENCE PREMATURE DEATH QUITE OFTEN. AB 361’S IDEA OF HEALTH NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH WERE PROPOSED BY CONSUMERS AND DMH AND PRESIDENT OBAMA, IS A GOOD IDEA. HEALTH NEIGHBORHOODS INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN ONE LOCATION. MUCH PREMATURE DEATH AMONG CONSUMERS IS NOT DUE TO SUICIDE BUT TO PHYSICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS DIABETES, CANCER, LUNG DISEASE AND HEART DISEASE. AB 361 ADDRESSES HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS IN CALIFORNIA. LACDMH E & A’S DIRECTOR HELENA DITKO, LCSW, STATED THAT IN HER STATE OF BIRTH, PENNSYLVANIA, HOMELESS PEOPLE COULD FREEZE TO DEATH IN THE COLD WINTERS SO WINTER SHELTERS ARE IN PENNSYLVANIA CITIES SUCH AS PITTSBURGH AND PHILADELPHIA. SUCH SHELTERS ARE NOT IN CALIFORNIA AND MANY RESIDENTS OF THE STATE ARE EX-PENNSYLVANIANS, EX-OHIOANS, EX- NEW YORKERS, EX-BAY STATERS AND FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHO CAME TO CALIFORNIA DUE TO THE GOOD WEATHER IN SPITE OF THE RAIN, RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA OFTEN DO NOT FREEZE TO DEATH; HOWVER, HOUSNG IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE. AB 361 WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUES AS HEALTH NEIGHBORHOODS COULD ALSO HAVE HOUSING RESOURCES. HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING AND COSTS TO MEDI-CAL ARE HIGH. ONE VISION OF BLACCC IS FOR OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND AMONG THEM, HOMELESS CONSUMERS, IS FOR ALL TO HAVE SERVICES WITHOUT STAGNATION AND DELAY SUCH AS A HOME, HEALTH CARE, A JOB, EDUCATION AND FREEDOM FROM STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION. PHYSICIAN-LED HEALTH HOMES NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE. HEALTH NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS WOULD HELP AFRICAN-AMERICANS MORE THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR SINCE MOST OF THE HOMELESS ON LOS ANGELES’ SKID ROW ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, OFTEN HARASSED BY THE POLICE AND THIS CONTRIBUTES TO STRESS AND INCARCERATION. THE WHOLESALE INCARCERATION OF BLACKS IS BASICALLY A FORM OF GENOCIDE, AS BLACCC’S PRESIDENT HAS STATED WE NEED CLIENT-RUN HEALTH HOMES, NOT PHYSICIAN-LED HEALTH HOMES.


WILLIAM LEGERE