Council candidates answer South Tahoe High student questions on homelessness and mental health

The South Tahoe High Climate Crew Club and Key Club asked questions of this year's candidates for South Lake Tahoe city council. Not all candidates replied and there are no responses from Brad Jacobson, Tamara Wallace, or Sherry Eddy.

Due to the length of the questions and answers (there were seven of them) they were split up and this is the fourth and final day of answers with two more questions answered below:

6.What ideas do you have concerning how our town can better facilitate access to mental health organizations and resources?

SCOTT ROBBINS - The South Tahoe Alternative Collaborative Services (STACS) program is a joint effort in which police responses to mental health calls are handled collaboratively with mental health, homeless outreach professionals, and other social workers rather than the police alone. This program, started in 2021, has been one of the biggest changes to crisis mental health response in the south shore in many years. While still new, early analysis is that this program has been highly successful in reducing what might have previously been potentially dangerous police encounters. So far, the SLTPD has allocated one full-time officer to this program, and its success is strong indication that funding should probably be applied to a second officer.

Less successful has been the city's law enforcement and medical response to sexual assault. Presently, the SLTPD has no officers specially trained in sexual assault response and Barton hospital has no capability to administer sexual assault exams, commonly known as “rape kits”. Victims of sexual assault must be transported to Reno to receive appropriate forensic medical care. This is unacceptable, yet, despite repeated efforts at raising this issue has been consistently ignored by our City Council.

DAVID JINKENS - Under new legislation just passed and signed into Law by the Governor, funds are being provided for better detection and care of persons with mental health needs. These services will be administered by the county, and we must ensure that these services are provided by the county to our residents in need. The lack of services for those needing mental health help has been a sad commentary on our State and County for many years.

NICOLE RAMIREZ THOMAS - Short Answer: Mental health, and health in general, is an El Dorado County service. As such, the goal would be to support existing programs.

Local organizations such as Live Violence Free offer mental health services to people suffering in abuse situations. They are the most supportive care that there is within South Lake Tahoe and Alpine County. Otherwise, access to mental health care is largely addressed by El Dorado County. The City's strategic plan aims to fully implement the South Tahoe Alternative Collaboration Services program by 2026.

This is definitely a topic I could learn more about.

JOBY CEFALU - Question 6 and 7 run together, as well this is a national crisis. With collaboration between healthcare, federal state, and local agencies finding funding sources and expanding mental health services is essential. The “how" is the difficult aspect. I need to seek knowledge and understanding in order to provide a succinct answer of which elected or not will work hard to help find solutions. We currently have several different avenues but they need to be expanded and prioritized.

KEVIN BRUNNER We have El Dorado County Mental Health facility that takes patients and does group and individual therapy. I’d like to see our private and group practices accept more insurance or offer a sliding scale, maybe we can find incentives for this.

Probably one of the biggest breakthroughs in recent years is that the younger generation is more open to talking about mental health. If we can continue to keep these issues in mind when addressing our greater community issues, it would make a lot of sense. I hope to bring topics like this into City Council discussion and advocate for those in need.

NICK SPEAL - Healthcare services are the responsibility of the County, and for too long our community has been underserved by institutions based in Placerville. The City needs to advocate for our fair share.

One part of this that is important to me is that we treat mental health as a healthcare issue and not a criminal one. I was a leader in the social justice advocacy that led to the creation of the South Tahoe Area Collaborative Services (STACS) program, providing supportive resources instead of police response for mental health crisis intervention. I’m pleased to see the County following suit with its program to dedicate a mobile team for behavioral health crisis intervention in the Tahoe Basin.

CHANTELLE SCHELLIING - Our unique, rural location lends itself to difficult access to necessary healthcare services, including mental health care. As someone who has worked in healthcare for over 15 years, I have intimate expertise on the role and impact healthcare has on individual and community wellbeing. I also understand and can operationalize feasible solutions to address access issues as I have done throughout my career.

First and foremost, we need reliable broadband access to enable telehealth services. The pandemic has taught us that telehealth works and increases access to mental health services, among other healthcare services, for those who struggled to obtain access before. Meeting the patient where they are, like in the comfort of their home, is not only important for social determinants of health, but also feasible through the development of telehealth infrastructure.

We also need to bring more healthcare services into our city especially those residents seek out-of-community or even out-of-state through partnerships with Barton Health among others. This could mean creating a desirable place for psychiatrists, social workers, mental health therapists, and behavioral consultants to practice. For services we are unable to bring to the city, we should explore partnerships with transportation services and major health plans for residents who need to travel for care but lack access to the transportation or financial resources needed to get there.

I also believe embedding these services into schools, fire departments, and police stations throughout the city is critical for the health and well-being of students and first responders. Additionally, we should explore implementing free or low-cost, regular group sessions and mental health workshops in the new recreation space. It is also important to encourage mental health first aid throughout our service industry (example here of trained baristas).

CODY BASS - health organizations and resources?
Mental health is a very serious health crisis that is affecting all of us (directly or indirectly). It’s affecting our greater society as our state and many others have really dropped the ball on this issue for decades. We must do more as a community to ensure that folks know how to get help and where it is available. The city does not manage our mental health services, however, that does not mean we can not be a partner in helping the county and private providers implement solutions. I believe the state should really work with the local jurisdictions, not just the county. The city should work with other city’s around the state to get our Governor to fund mental health services for each city and not just relegate the responsibility to the counties. The majority of mental health services exist in and around Placerville. We must advocate for better services in the Tahoe Basin.

7. How would you work to address homelessness in South Lake Tahoe?

SCOTT ROBBINS - I’ve been a volunteer at the Warm Room shelter (prior to its current permanent location), mostly spending weekends during the winter doing the laundry for our unhoused population. Efforts to provide emergency housing are critically important and valuable and must be supported and expanded (preferably with funding drawn on a vacant second home tax), but they are ultimately efforts that treat symptoms, rather than root causes.

The most important element for addressing homelessness in the longer term, however, is addressing the unbelievably high and out-of-control cost of housing (as I discussed in more detail in response to question 4). Beyond housing, we should also be addressing the low wages paid by much of our service industry by passing an increase to the minimum wage that is tied to the local cost of living (as per my discussions with the city attorney, the city itself may set a minimum wage higher than the State minimum wage). The city can also require that large employers provide predicably scheduled work hours so that workers can adequately plan for child and family care.

DAVID JINKENS - This is a complicated problem. On one hand, we want to be kind and helpful to homeless people who are already here. There are several fine organizations and individuals who are doing so. We need to support them. However, we must be careful not to make South Lake Tahoe a magnet for homeless people coming from all over the State. This is not our job it is the State’s job. I understand the situation to be that there are those who are homeless and want to live in the outdoors. There are those who are homeless who cannot afford housing, and they need help. There are those who are homeless who have mental health needs that are unmet, and there are those who are homeless who simply do not want to work for a living. We must distinguish between these people when deciding how to address the issue. For those who are capable of working, we need to motivate them to get jobs that are readily available. Employers locally are crying for job applicants.

NICOLE RAMIREZ THOMAS - Short Answer: I would work to bolster the existing City partnerships with non-profit organizations that assist homeless individuals and families.

The City currently assists the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless by administering grant money the City receives. More partnerships such as this would be beneficial to address homelessness in South Lake Tahoe and the Basin. Because of our heavy winters, homelessness is a much bigger challenge to manage in the summer than in the winter. I think supporting non-profits is the best path to supporting this population and the community. Working through issues on homelessness is challenging and requires a great deal of sensitivity.

I think it is important to realize that people are homeless for different reasons and not just because of mental health. In understanding why and how someone becomes homeless it is possible to help with their situation. Is the issue mental health? Or was it just an economic challenge? Or is someone homeless because they have less ability to navigate our current challenges? There are many reasons people become homeless. Housing situations that assist with a transition out of homelessness that consider why someone is homeless are important to explore as well.

I think there are other things to consider to help with homelessness as well. Think about it this way: what are the things we take for granted in our daily lives that if we didn't have them would make our lives harder?

An example is laundromats. Access to clean clothes is important to quality of life. Lower-income people and homeless people have trouble accessing this resource because of the extreme cost to use a laundromat. Studies have shown that teenagers that come from low-income families are less likely to attend school and finish school. These studies have also shown that the ability for these teens to clean their clothes boosts their school attendance rate, increasing their opportunities. This is where we consider equity: how do I help make sure that you have access to and the same opportunities that I have?

Something as simple as clean clothes can make a big difference in the trajectory of someone's life. I think we need to think more about how we boost quality of life in all situations and in this way, we can make meaningful change.

These are great questions. Finding solutions to our current life challenges is complicated and there is never just one approach. I think it is important to be optimistic that there are things that we can do and that we have the opportunity to change. We should work to empower ourselves and others in the decisions we make.

JOBY CEFALU - Currently homelessness is getting worse, not better and the national and international financial crisis is going to make this problem worse. The City of South Lake Tahoe has made several attempts with temporary locations but nothing permanent. As it is, homeless camps in our meadows and forests are serious problems, especially heading into the winter months. In many cases, the use of propane for heating and cooking is a very concerning issue in terms of fire safety. As well, sanitation and trash have become a real issue. This like most issues in South Lake Tahoe will take a collaborative effort as we work towards a multi-faceted approach for a long-term solution.

Although some of my answers may appear vague, I bring forward a long tenure in South Lake Tahoe through business and my involvement in Youth Sports, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Coaching which will help foster the collaboration through relationships needed to find solutions. All of your questions I do acknowledge as problems that are at the top of the list of priorities. I very much appreciate our younger generations asking these questions and being involved as you are the future leaders who will eventually oversee the solutions we come up with and foster understanding of the very complex issues which we face.

KEVIN BRUNNER Homelessness is not a singular issue, mental health, addiction, lack of training or education, and just being able to eat and take a shower are all part of this.

While the warming room is a great idea, there’s more we need to offer.
For basic hygiene needs, there have been other cities that have implemented a “shower bus” like a renovated RV with 2 bathrooms, made available in different locations on different days. We have the Bread & Broth meals, but how can we expand?

NICK SPEAL - The one solution to homelessness is housing. Cities have tried criminalization and encampment sweeps and all sorts of humiliating interventions that don’t acknowledge the root cause of the problem. I am proud of Project Homekey and the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless’ work to establish long-term housing, which as led to an 80% reduction in unsheltered homelessness over the past two years.

Addressing the housing shortage will open up space for community members to live with dignity and have the security and comfort to be able cope with the various challenges that life throws our way.

Conclusion: I’m running for South Lake Tahoe City Council to help make housing, transportation, and clean energy more affordable and sustainable for everyone. I invite you to learn more and sign up for my email list at www.speal.ca.

CHANTELLE SCHELLIING - As we know, not having stable housing negatively impacts the health and safety of an individual and also serves as a barrier to accessing transportation and jobs. I believe the suggestions provided in the housing question can help address homelessness in our city. In addition, I recognize homelessness is multifactorial. For example, a person may be experiencing mental health illness which impacts their ability to maintain a stable income to afford housing. We need to be sure we are evaluating the challenge most comprehensively. I would encourage close collaboration with local non-profits and engaging community members struggling with housing to identify the most effective solutions.

CODY BASS -We must provide a program that can allow a pathway for these folks to participate in our community. I believe accomplishment is what makes us thrive. We must find ways to inspire the homeless to engage in a better life. I believe that we must have different levels of housing for these folks, when they start into the program they work they’re way into better living situations and eventually move into a rental unit, and hopefully one day an ownership opportunity. Many of these people can get back on there feet. We need to support efforts to get them back into the workforce. For those with mental health issues, where that is not possible, they should be subsidized and housed which is why the state should do more with city’s on this issue and not just the counties.