Transitions-Mental Health Association needs your help to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community are able to get the mental health treatment they need in San Luis Obispo County!
We are reaching out to you regarding the behavioral health hospital being proposed for Templeton, across the street from Twin Cities Hospital. The SLO County Planning Commission has approved this project unanimously after two hearings with much public comment. However, there is a very vocal opposition group of Templeton area folks called “Concerned Citizens Preventing Unintended Consequences” which is pushing back very strongly against this project being built in their town. They have filed an appeal , hence the matter will be decided by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 15 at 9am.
While we are happy to have such a facility ANYWHERE in SLO County, the reality is this is the ONLY project being proposed. If we lose this project, the long passed over need for mental health treatment beds in our county will be set back years.
We are calling on medical doctors, psychologists, therapists, counselors, nurses, mental health advocates, teachers/professors, persons living with mental illness, your families, and anyone affected by mental illness – we need your help!
Our County Supervisors must hear the voices of those who see the obvious need. (If you are a professional who has sent patients out of our county for hospitalization, your voice is especially potent.)
There are many ways to get involved and show your support for this important facility:
· SPREAD THE WORD and forward this email to someone who supports the cause.
· SIGN THE PETITION and submit to the project developers by Friday, March 11.
· WRITE A LETTER or EMAIL in support of this facility and send it to the County Supervisors or your local newspaper. Feel free to use the form letter we’ve attached, or write your own.
· CALL your County Supervisor and let them know you support the Templeton behavioral health hospital and encourage them to approve the project.
· ATTEND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING AND SPEAK during public comment. The agenda will posted on the county website by Wed, March 9. Check here.
Board of Supervisors’ meeting is Tuesday, March 15 starting at 9am
Corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets, first floor
Please arrive early to submit a Public Comment speaker’s request and/or get a seat.
We’ve attached all the forms and contact info you need to show support:
· Petition, Project Fact Sheet, and Contact info for Supervisors and local papers, from developers Harvey and Melanie Billig (retired Templeton Ophthalmologist and former SLO Mayor).
· A sample letter idea from TMHA.
· A link to the public comment card here: “Board Appearance Request Form”. You can print this out in advance and submit at the meeting. We’ve been told by one Supervisors office that they plan to honor all speaking requests. You have 3 minutes to speak.
We thank you for your timely consideration of this important issue.
- Jill Bolster-White, President and CEO, Transitions-Mental Health Association
*****ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 10/13/2015: A proposed 91 bed mental health hospital in Templeton is being strongly opposed. You can read more about it in the Tribune by clicking here.
Once again, NIMBYism is destroying what is needed for the "common good". Currently there is only a single 16 bed mental health facility to serve the entire county of San Luis Obispo. However, if you have private insurance, like most do in SLO County, then you cannot use that facility. It's only for the low income on Medi-Cal and the like. Instead, you have to travel out of county. Because of this, many skip mental health services altogether...that can't be healthy, can it?
Send Our Crazy People to Their County! Throughout the country, there is massive need for mental health services which is going unmet. The concern is that the hospital will attract patients from out of the county. My answer is: so what? The Templeton opposition is happy to have SLO County residents travel to other counties for treatment - why is that ok, but others coming here is bad? Whatever happened to considering the needs of the many? NIMBYism is rarely good for our greater community.
Mass Shootings Unrelated? On a seemingly unlrelated note, Obama is going ballistic (and rightfully so) over the crazies shooting up schools and churches around the country in mass killings. Perhaps if these lone gunmen had local access to mental health services (and didn't have to travel long distances to get it), they might not have done their destructive deeds. Nobody mentions the fact that denying the Templeton Mental Hospital could result in local violence perpetrated by the mentally ill who sought treatment but could not get it here, and just gave up seeking treatment.
Silly Statements: The reasons listed in the Tribune article for opposition to this much needed facility are ridiculous on their face. For instance, they are afraid that the patients, once finished with their treatment and discharged from the hospital will somehow decide that "Templeton is a nice place" and "I think I'll just go live in the Templeton park and become a homeless person" instead of returning to their life at home located outside our county. Really?
Where is the Danger? Realty comes from Sheriff Ian Parson, who states that the Sheriff's Office has no reason to believe that the mental health hospital, as proposed, would present a security concern.
Head of Household Jobs, Anyone? I'm guessing that this hospital will create quite a large number of head of household jobs for Templeton residents and others in SLO county. High paying jobs like this these are scarce in SLO county. Considering the high cost of housing in SLO county, average household income in SLO county is fairly low compared to neighboring counties (SLO household income is lower than Monterey, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties). That is in large part because we have a many service industry and ag industry jobs, which are generally low paying.
My prediction? Local NIMBYism will sway local politicians to do the WRONG thing, and oppose this facility. They will convince the developers to build with 20 beds instead, which will eventually kill the deal, because it can't be operated on such a small scale and even hope to break even (note: only the government can operate such a facility at a loss). After much time and expense, the developers will give up and sell the property at a massive loss, and no other developer will ever attempt such a thing in the county again, given the massive NIMBY opposition to such a needed treatment center. THE END.
July 1, 2015. Letters to the Editor: Viewpoint
Another article that I think you should read on this subject by an expert on this subject. Title: Why SLO County should embrace mental health facility in Templeton. BY JILL BOLSTER-WHITE, executive director of Transitions Mental Health Association. Proposed behaviorial hospital in Templeton would give us the opportunity to offer support to patients right here at home. You can read the article, which was published in the Tribune newspaper by clicking here.
A quote from Jill's article above (for those to lazy to click on the link and read the entire article): There should be no place in our community where treatment for children, adults and seniors with mental illness is limited due to fear and discrimination. When we have the opportunity to provide quality treatment on par with the treatment for those with physical illness, we should welcome the opportunity with open arms.
Response to my email on this subject from Jan Marx, SLO City Council
On Oct 14, 2015, at 2:25 PM, Marx, Jan <jmarx@slocity.org> wrote:
Thanks Tim. I support this facility.
Best --Jan
Response from Adam Hill, District 3 Supervisor
On Oct 14, 2015, at 3:46 PM, ahill@co.slo.ca.us wrote:
Tim,
Thanks for writing. I fully agree with you on the need and how this project could help. I believe this will be at the County Planning Commission on Dec 10th. If appealed to the BOS, I expect to be a strong advocate for it.
Best, --Adam
ADAM HILL
District Three Supervisor
San Luis Obispo County
1055 Monterery, Rm D430
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
(805)781-5450
(805)781-1350 Fax
No comments:
Post a Comment