Many of the stories LAist covered in 2023 focused on the tragic outcomes that can happen when the mental health care system fails the people who are sickest.
Several families whose stories were reported said they were exasperated from trying to get their loved ones the kind of mental health care they need.
This year, I hope to write more people-driven stories that illustrate where and how the system of care has broken down. In the new year, there will be more state and local resources than ever dedicated to mental health issues.
I’m interested to see if it will be enough to address some of the issues I reported on in 2023.
A look back
In March, I looked at a recent spike in suicides within the L.A. County jail system, and why families continue to decry what they see as a dismal situation for incarcerated people living with serious mental illness.
In April, I wrote about Oscar Leon Sanchez, whose family said he was struggling with his mental health and was in crisis when before he was fatally shot by L.A. police during a crisis.
And in August, I wrote about tagging along with a street medicine team whose leader said they need more help treating unhoused people with mental health conditions where they are.
And then there was the story of the Campos family, who lost their son in an accident on Interstate 5.
Frank Campos was 29 and an artist whose childhood bedroom in Duarte overflowed with charcoal drawings, sculptures he created. Campos also lived with schizophrenia and was on his way from a locked, in-patient facility to a lower level of care in 2021 when he jumped out of the car on the freeway and was hit by a truck.
Before Campos’ death, his family was actively involved in his care. His mother became his conservator so she could guide treatment and…
Read the full article here
