San Diego County Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas is asking fellow supervisors to vote next week to postpone implementation of state legislation expanding eligibility for conservatorships.
The state legislation that would otherwise take effect Jan. 1 makes people struggling with severe addiction eligible for conservatorships and is expected to put more pressure on a treatment system now often unable to deliver immediate voluntary care.
In a Wednesday board letter, Vargas called for the county to implement the conservatorship expansion bill in January 2025 to give the county and various players more time to prepare.
Vargas’ proposal follows lobbying by San Diego’s hospital association and others concerned that absent new treatment options, SB 43 could lead more people to cycle through hospital emergency rooms without getting the care they need.
“We need to make sure that, if they end up in a hospital room, in an emergency room, that we know how we’re going to make sure they get what they need,” Vargas told the Union-Tribune. “You can’t do that just by saying, ‘let’s just open it up, and let’s figure it out as we go.’ I think that’s irresponsible.”
At least one of Vargas’ county colleagues announced Wednesday she isn’t on board with the proposed postponement. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer issued a statement urging the county to allow the expansion to take effect in January and calling for other amendments including evaluation of early data to try to improve access to long-term treatment.
“I recognize the lead time on SB 43 ramp-up for the County, hospital partners, services providers and city partners is short, but we all should be moving as fast as possible to help the people we serve,” Lawson-Remer wrote. “I know if we move fast there will be challenges and gaps to overcome, but our response to public health emergencies like the COVID-19 emergency showed our region is capable and resilient.”
Mayor Todd Gloria, a major champion of these conservatorship reforms, has previously argued Californians can’t wait for new services and resources to materialize. He’s also often cited a March 2024 bond proposal that – if approved – could dramatically expand treatment options.
“I think absent this mandate to actually care for these severely mentally ill people we’ll continue to lack beds,” Gloria said earlier this year.
Nora Vargas would rather drug addicts sleep outside your kids school than be forced into treatment because she is a shill for the multi billion dollar hospital industry.