Health Department Moves To Kill SRO Collaboratives

by Randy Shaw, Beyond Chron (reposted)

Tue, Apr 17, 2007 7:26AM

After ruling that Ruby Rippey-Tourk’s alcohol problem represented a “catastrophic illness,” San Francisco Health Director Mitch Katz now seeks to kill the city’s most effective program for addressing the needs of formerly homeless single adults living in SRO’s. After initially seeking to cut the funding for SRO Collaboratives by $100,000, Katz will ask the Health Commission today to approve a budget that would eliminate funding for the $850,000 program entirely. Neither Katz nor any member of DPH bothered to inform the many SRO Collaborative staff about the proposed cuts. Meanwhile, on the same agenda the Health Department seeks to award a multimillion dollar sole source contract to the Tides Foundation---in clear conflict with Mayor Newsom’s edict against such sole sourcing.

Something very odd is going on in the Health Department these days. After Mitch Katz’s bizarre and unprecendented ruling that Ruby Rippey-Tourk’s alcoholism was a “catastrophic illness, the Director now seeks to eliminate the most effective program dealing with formerly homeless single adults---the SRO Collaboratives.

The Mission, Tenderloin and Chinatown SRO Collaboratives provide fire prevention workshops and a long list of services ranging from writing workshops to meditation sessions to SRO tenants. The programs are widely credited with encouraging tenant stability, particularly in hotels housing formerly homeless tenants through Mayor Newsom’s Care not Care program and DPH’s Direct Access to Housing program.

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§Mitch Katz has ruined....

by a TG person

Tue, Apr 17, 2007 9:06AM

This should be a wake up call.
Mitch Katz has ruined SF General, and his flaky management style is contributing to the notion of bad health care.
Every time I would go to SF General I was made aware that I was on a sliding sacle payment plan, but when I would go and get my prescriptions, I was told to pay full price for the meds or I wouldn't get them. When I tried to complain I was ignored, and even made fun of by the many workers at SF General who seem to think other people are more fucked up than they are.
My deceased partner refused to go to SF General whenever she had health problems. SF General could not even diagnose an ulzer, which is one reason she stumbled around so much.

Either Mitch Katz needs to go or the health system in SF will be further deteriorated.

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§Health Commission mtg. TODAY 3pm 101 Grove, #300, OD/youth programs also cut

by bob t

Tue, Apr 17, 2007 9:18AM

Very successful programs in Overdose Prevention (DOPE project), serving homeless youth (Homeless Youth Alliance) and the Stimulant Treatment Outpatient Program (one of the very few specifically treating meth in the City). are also on the chopping block today. Public comment at the Health Commission mtg. TODAY 3pm 101 Grove, #300. Letters of support to the Health Commission and letters and/or calls to the Board of Supervisor's Budget Committee also helpful.

e-mail: health.commission.dph [at] sfdph.org

See http://sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=7271 for contact info. for Board of Supes budget committee.

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