California Gov. Gavin Newsom, middle, and his spouse, first associate Jennifer Siebel Newsom, are greeted by veteran Anthony Wimberly, left, in his condo in a newly renovated constructing used to accommodate veterans on the campus of the Veterans Affairs of Better Los Angeles on Friday, Could 26, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Picture/Ashley Landis, Pool)
On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom and first associate Jennifer Siebel Newsom visited the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus, touring a brand new supportive housing web site there.
The go to on Friday afternoon, Could 26, was meant to tout what the governor’s press workplace described in a information launch as “historic investments made in behavioral well being and housing sources for veterans.”
California is house to 1.6 million veterans, essentially the most within the nation, in response to Newsom’s workplace. There have been practically 4,000 veterans who had been tallied in LA County in 2022, in response to that 12 months’s point-in-time rely by the Los Angeles Homeless Companies Authority.
Current state investments have led to CalVet increasing packages centered on veterans, significantly complete behavioral and psychological well being providers, comparable to these provided on the West Los Angeles VA campus.
“Our veterans put their lives on the road to serve our nation, now we have to serve them in return,” the governor stated in a Friday assertion. “Too many veterans can’t escape the battlefront, even right here on the house entrance – and due to that, we’ve misplaced too many of those heroes to suicide, whereas many extra battle with different behavioral and bodily well being issues.”
These investiments, in response to the discharge, embrace:
- The California Veterans Well being Initiative, which offered $50 million to enhance coordination amongst varied companies sources to spice up training and outreach efforts, whereas growing capability.
- Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program, which offered $100 million to assist housing initiatives adjust to a requirement to offer on-site providers.
- Veterans Help to Self-Reliance Pilot Program, which gave a $25 million enhance to offer providers meant to assist veterans keep of their properties as they age.
- Behavioral Well being Companies Program, which offered $1.27 million in ongoing funding to assist counties enhance psychological well being providers for veterans.
- California Transition Help Program , which gives coaching, each in-person and nearly, to lively service members, veterans and their households.
- The hiring of medical social employees, psychologists and psychiatrists on the eight Veterans Properties of California to make sure enough behavioral well being providers all through the state.
“California is constructing an accessible community of sources for veterans and their households, whereas we deal with the lethal stigma round psychological well being that isolates and endangers so lots of our heroes,” Newsom stated. “We’re house to the nation’s largest inhabitants of veterans, who all should be linked, revered, and guarded.”