The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is the largest in the nation, serving nearly 250,000 patients every year.
And this year, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors appointed Dr. Jonathan Sherin to lead the department, which faces challenges ranging from cultural stigmas surrounding seeking mental health services to the difficulty of helping homeless people who suffer from mental illness.
We sit down with Dr. Sherin to discuss some of the biggest issues that he’ll be tackling as the new head, including:
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Bill to amend CA definition of gravely disabled
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WHO designation of compulsive gaming as mental health issue
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Recent CDC numbers showing suicide on the rise, concerns about ‘contagion’ after deaths of Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain
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State of mental health services for inmates in L.A. County jail
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“No Place Like Home” program to be on November ballot and more
Guest:
Jonathan Sherin, M.D., director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; he tweets @directorLACDMH
