**Therapists take mental health care directly to homeless residents on the streets of California**
When most people picture the intersection of mental illness and homelessness, they imagine the most visible and severe cases — individuals living outdoors in the throes of untreated psychosis. But according to a new report from CalMatters, the far more common conditions among unhoused Californians are quieter struggles: depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
These conditions may not draw the same attention, but they can be just as disabling, often standing in the way of someone’s ability to secure stable housing. Filling out paperwork, making phone calls, and keeping appointments — tasks essential to escaping homelessness — can feel impossible for someone battling severe anxiety or trauma.
Complicating matters further, many unhoused residents simply can’t access traditional mental health care. Getting to a clinic, keeping a standing appointment, or navigating a health care system built for people with stable addresses is often out of reach.
In response, a growing number of therapists across the state have taken a different approach: meeting patients exactly where they are.
“You can find me on the riverbed, you can find me in a tent,” said Lisette Carmona, a Los Angeles-based therapist who conducts sessions wherever her patients feel safe. “Wherever the patient is comfortable, that’s where I’m conducting their therapy.”
That kind of flexibility has proven transformative for people like Jessica Scott, a 35-year-old Sacramento resident who once found the process of seeking housing paralyzing. Scott said her anxiety was so severe that simply scheduling appointments could trigger panic attacks. While living out of her stepfather’s car, she began working with a therapist who taught her grounding techniques to manage her symptoms. A few weeks ago, that progress culminated in a major milestone — Scott moved into her own apartment.
“When you’re panicking so much that you can’t really talk to people, it’s difficult to do anything,” Scott said.
Despite the clear benefits, this kind of street-based therapy remains scarce. Doctors, nurses and clinicians interviewed by CalMatters estimate that between 80% and 90% of their homeless patients are living with a mental health condition that could be treated with therapy — most commonly depression, anxiety or PTSD. Yet one street psychiatrist told reporters his team is able to reach only about 5% of the patients who could benefit from such care, underscoring how far the need outpaces available resources.
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**Also in California news this week:**
State lawmakers are weighing a bill that would let insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who agree to have their driving habits tracked through in-car “telematics” technology — devices that can record speed, location, braking patterns and swerving. Supporters say the trade-off could reward safe drivers with lower premiums, but privacy advocates and some regulators warn it opens the door to expanded surveillance with limited oversight. A deputy state insurance commissioner cautioned in a letter to legislators that the proposal could create “broad liability loopholes” and shift regulatory responsibility onto private telematics vendors.
Separately, a CalMatters investigation into California’s public colleges and universities found inconsistent compliance with state laws requiring campus police departments to disclose military-grade equipment. Reporters combed through records from all 148 UC, CSU and community college campuses and found stockpiles that included hundreds of semi-automatic rifles and vast quantities of ammunition. Several campuses failed to hold legally required public forums on the equipment, while others — including San Jose State — reported owning gear, such as tear gas grenades, not authorized under system-wide policy.
Original source: CalMatters
