With this year’s overdose deaths outpacing last year as of November, The City continues its efforts to combat the opioid crisis
Accidental drug overdose deaths in San Francisco increased in November following a record low in October, according to preliminary data released by the medical examiner on Monday. There were 52 overdose deaths in November, a 44% increase from the 36 in October.
That brings the total number of deaths so far this year to 588, outpacing the number of deaths at this time last year, which was 584. “This continues to be our priority, to make sure that we can both support folks in better being able to access treatment and to be able to move into recovery, and also to make sure on an immediate term we are helping to prevent as many overdoses as possible across our communities,” said Daniel Tsai, the director of the Department of Public Health. Tsai emphasized that any overdose death in The City was one too many, and that these numbers will likely continue to fluctuate month to month. “I don't think there is one single silver bullet or answer that explains when overdose numbers go up and down,” he said. The overdose death update coincided with an announcement that the department is opening about 90 new behavioral health treatment beds — around 40 at a residential care facility in Hayes Valley next year and more than 50 locked psychiatric beds at the behavioral health center at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, doubling the current amount at the facility. “These more than 50 new locked beds in San Francisco will net a 50% increase in our local supply of locked beds, allowing more people under conservatorship to quickly and appropriately get the treatment they need,” said Dr. Hillary Kunins, the city’s director of behavioral health services. The new beds are being funded through Prop. 1, a statewide initiative narrowly passed by voters last year that included a $6.4 billion bond for creating new behavioral health and substance use treatment beds. A report issued by the San Francisco Controller’s Office in January found that The City needed to add 135 new beds to its system over the next two years. The group, which consisted of City Hall officials, public health leaders, labor and criminal justice representatives released was formed following the passage of Prop. 1 to determine what gaps exist in The City’s system of 2,600 behavioral health care beds. Itfound that locked beds were a high priority to better care for people with complex needs. Ex // Top Stories Get to the holidays’ home stretch with these 18 SF events This week in The City brings free concerts, art shows, film screenings and pop-up markets to residents Lurie housing plan passes amid threats of lawsuits from different sides Possibility of legal action looms over passage of the Family Zoning Plan, the mayor’s signature housing initiative Word on the Street: For the holidays, there's no place like SF If The City doesn’t hold the record for most tree-lighting ceremonies, it should Creating new locked beds has been a significant challenge due to the high safety and building standards necessary to build and maintain these facilities, Kunins said. “Locked mental health treatment facilities for individuals under conservatorship are very difficult to acquire,” she said. Those who would need these beds fall under public conservatorship, in which a judge has determined that an individual cannot properly take care of themselves. San Francisco has had some challenges with requesting the court place a person under conservatorship. While requirements were loosened last year after the implementation of California Senate Bill 43, the rate of people placed into conservatorship did not increase significantly, according to city data released in June. The legislation was met with pushback from civil rights groups and homelessness advocates due to concerns over its impact on individual rights and potential misuse. Despite the challenges, those who need locked beds, also called subacute mental health treatment beds, will be better cared for with these resources, Kunins said. “These beds are highly specialized and medically supervised for individuals with the most complex behavioral health needs,” she said. “These include individuals with severe mental illness and also require a secure therapeutic environment.” This year the department has added more than 200 new beds for different levels of need, Kunins said, on pace with the department’s overall goal to add 415 new beds by 2028. “We're creating a system that ensures people can enter treatment quickly and get effective care, stay connected to care and reach lasting recovery and stability,” she said.
Behavioral Health Opioid Crisis Daniel Tsai
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