Report: San Francisco's Facilities for Mentally Ill Regularly Operate Under Capacity

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A photo of the San Francisco Department of Public Health building. (Kathryn Hunts/KQED)

Beds for those struggling with mental illness and addiction are going empty at a number of treatment facilities across the city, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In one such case, the Chronicle found that in July of this year only 32 patients occupied the 55-bed Adult Residential Facility on SF General Hospital's campus. Department of Public Health officials say staff negligence and concerns over patient safety prompted their decision last year to stop admitting patients. We discuss this gap in services at a time when the city's mentally ill and homeless populations are growing.

Guests:

Trisha Thadani, City Hall reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Paul Linde, clinical professor of psychiatry, UCSF; author, "Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist"

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