• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Saturday, March 25, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
The Capistrano Dispatch
No Result
View All Result

Congressional Candidates Discuss Mental Health at San Juan Capistrano Forum

by Capo Dispatch
October 12, 2018 5:17AM
in EYE ON SJC, News
Congressional Candidates Discuss Mental Health at San Juan Capistrano Forum

Diane Harkey Speaks during a forum at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center on Friday, Oct. 5. Photo: Alex Groves

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Alex Groves

Diane Harkey and Mike Levin, two candidates for California’s 49th Congressional District, spoke about mental health, suicide and opioid addiction and what they would do to address those issues during a Friday, Oct. 5, event at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center.

The event, put on by the Green Ribbon Club, gave Harkey and Levin about an hour each to answer a series of questions before the audience asked questions of their own.

Arman Fijany, a board member for the club, was the moderator for the event and asked the candidates a series of questions, starting first with mental health, then opioid addiction.

Harkey began her session by talking about her sister’s schizophrenia and how the recently passed Laura’s Law, which allows for court-ordered outpatient treatment for people with mental illness, enabled her to get conservatorship over her sister and get her needed help.

She said she wanted to see legislative change to privacy laws so that family members can help their loved ones earlier and with less roadblocks after those loved ones start exhibiting signs of a mental health struggle.

On the issue of suicide, Harkey said it’s hard to find solutions because “nobody really knows what causes suicide in another person.”

She suggested that young people, who she said are centrally focused, might benefit from being given service opportunities because then they would have the feeling of being needed.

Asked about how opioid addiction could be combated, Harkey said that increasing border security was very important.

“We are the number one center for money laundering, drug trafficking and human trafficking all coming across the border and that’s not disputable, it just is,” Harkey said. “We need to do something about that.”

Mike Levin speaks during a forum on mental health and opioid addiction on Friday, Oct. 5, at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center. Photo: Alex Groves
Mike Levin speaks during a forum on mental health and opioid addiction on Friday, Oct. 5, at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center. Photo: Alex Groves

Levin emphasized utilizing federal funding to support local programs and research as well as legislative changes to the healthcare system.

He said he believed it was important to support pediatricians and elementary schools to identify and to support programs to help children with behavioral problems.

As far as legislative changes, Levin suggested integrating the nation’s mental and physical healthcare systems so that behavioral care for mental health problems and addiction is available in general health settings.

“So that healthcare delivery focuses on the whole person,” he said.

He said he also believed in continued federal funding for local universities for their programs and scientific research.

He mentioned UC San Diego, located in the southern end of the 49th District, as an example.

“They have some of the leading brain behavioral scientists in the world and we have to make sure they’re getting the funding that they need.”

On the issue of suicide, Levin said he would like to see a national suicide prevention initiative that would be headed by the Department of Health and Human Services but would also include the Department of Veteran Affairs and other relevant agencies.

As far as opioid addiction, Levin turned his sights to the residential treatment facilities themselves.

He said there need to be nationally required minimum standards for those facilities, including background checks, mandatory tracking and new national definitions of what qualifies as treatment.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: 49th Congressional DistrictCalifornia's 49th Congressional DistrictDiane HarkeyFeaturedmike levin
ShareTweetPin

Capo Dispatch

Related Posts

New Name Joins Planning Commission

New Name Joins Planning Commission

March 24, 2023
Fiesta Grandé

GALLERY: Fiesta Grandé Hosts Pre-Parade Celebration

March 23, 2023
Robert Ridland Takes Over for Swallows Parade Grand Marshal After Dennis Quaid Drops Out

Robert Ridland Takes Over for Swallows Parade Grand Marshal After Dennis Quaid Drops Out

March 23, 2023
San Juan Capistrano Council Hears Long-Term Use Proposals for Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park

Council Approves Short-Term Extension on Riding Park Lease

March 23, 2023
Next Post
It All Comes Down to This: Orange County District Attorney Election Features Fiery Candidates

Orange County DA Speaks about Future of Sober Living Task Force

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

The Dispatch Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get The Dispatch delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Current Issue
  • Contact Us
  • San Clemente Times
  • Dana Point Times
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.