San Francisco prepares to expand conservatorships for homeless people

Source: San Francisco Examiner

By Joshua Sabatini on April 19, 2018 4:34 pm

San Francisco is preparing for an expanded use of conservatorships in anticipation of state legislation that would allow The City to increase their use for homeless persons suffering from mental illness or substance use.

The City’s Public Conservator currently has 577 people under mental health conservatorships and receives about 16 referrals monthly of people admitted for psychiatric care through an initial 5150 72-hour emergency hold.

However that number is expected to increase if state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, succeeds in passing Senate Bill 1045, which expands the criteria for placing a person under conservatorship. The bill would allow courts to appoint a conservator for a person who is chronically homeless and unable to care for themselves due to mental illness or substance use, based on their frequent trips to emergency rooms, stays in jail and 5150s.

The Senate Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on the bill Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee approved legislation Thursday that would have the City Attorney’s Office take a leading role in arguing for conservatorships. The District Attorney’s Office currently handles the cases but would only handle them for those also facing criminal charges if the legislation is approved.

Read more: http://www.sfexaminer.com/san-francisco-prepares-expand-conservatorships-homeless-persons/