"Store clerks in a nearby strip mall and the groundskeeper at a local park all knew her brother. They told Farrell they'd seen him recently lying on the sidewalk outside a Jack in the Box. Another time, he was walking down the street, dragging a blanket behind him. He was spotted outside a church just that morning, someone said. But he remained a phantom."
"Last Christmas Eve, she'd jumped at the chance to get her 59-year-old brother, who has been homeless off and on since 2017 and struggles with schizophrenia and meth use, into a new program called CARE Court. It was supposed to help people like him stabilize their mental health and get off the streets. For a short time, it did. Her brother moved into a converted hotel in Oakland in late April, Farrell said, but five months later, he fled the hotel and disappeared."
Jennifer Farrell searched neighborhoods for her 59-year-old brother who has been homeless off and on since 2017 and struggles with schizophrenia and meth use. He was frequently seen by locals but remained difficult to locate. Farrell enrolled him in CARE Court last Christmas Eve and he moved into a converted hotel in Oakland in late April. That placement provided short-term stability, but five months later he fled the hotel and disappeared. Nearly a year after enrollment, Farrell reports no lasting progress and warns the family may be in a worse position. Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced CARE Court in 2022 to address such cases.
Read at calmatters.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]