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Supervisors press DPH for faster progress on Mental Health SF bed expansion as judges report months-long jail waits
Summary
At a Budget & Appropriations hearing, judges testified that some jail referrals wait months for dual-diagnosis residential beds; DPH said about 89 of the 400 planned new beds are open and noted Prop C allocations and contracting plans, while supervisors demanded clearer timelines, staffing and measurable milestones.
Supervisors, judges and Department of Public Health officials traded sharp questions and data at a March 2 hearing on the city's progress expanding behavioral-health beds under Mental Health SF. Judge testimony described long jail waits for appropriate placements; DPH outlined funding and near-term procurement steps but acknowledged work remains to meet the 400-bed goal.
Supervisor Ronan framed the hearing by citing the bed-optimization report and its estimate that roughly 408 additional beds would be needed to address system flow. Judges who work in collaborative courts told the committee that defendants with dual diagnoses frequently wait months before programs can even interview them and then wait additional months for a bed. "If you look at…
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