U.S. San Francisco launches new office addressing mental health, substance use

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) on Friday announced the opening of the Office of Coordinated Care (OCC) as part of the unprecedented expansion of mental health and substance use services in the city.

The launch of the OCC is part of an expansion of behavioral health resources in the process over the last year, including the addition of 400 mental health and substance use treatment beds and the deployment of the Street Crisis Response Team, which response to calls for emergency services for those struggling with mental illness and addiction. This is part of San Francisco's strategy to provide services for those in need and improve the conditions on the streets, the announcement said.

When fully expanded, the OCC expects to manage the cases of 4,000 individuals annually who have mental health and substance use disorders, and who have been historically underserved by the healthcare system because of trauma, homelessness, racism, and other social determinants of health, according to the announcement.

"We are working to fix a system that simply has not worked well for so many of those we see struggling in our city every day," said Breed. "We want people to get the consistent support they need to heal and thrive, not to endlessly cycle through the emergency room, jail, or the streets. The Office of Coordinated Care will help get us on a better path."