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Should San Francisco Force People With Mental Illness Into Treatment?

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A homeless man in San Francisco pushes a cart with his belongings on May 17, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

San Francisco is moving forward with a conservatorship program that would force people experiencing chronic homelessness, substance abuse and severe mental illness to get treatment even if they don’t want to. A new state law allows San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego counties to create these five-year pilot programs. It’s seen as a way to help people on the street who are suffering crisis, while some advocates for homeless people say conservatorships take away a person’s civil liberties when there are other ways to help them.

Guest: Kate Wolffe, KQED reporter

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