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Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors have compromised on legislation to establish Mental Health SF, a program that will spur reforms and add programs to mental health services in San Francisco.

Mark Salazar, executive director of the Mental Health Association of San Francisco, says that today’s system subjects patients to long wait times for unaffordable appointments, with few resources for them while they wait. He also lays out a vision for how Mental Health SF could change that.

“What we’ll see is an increase in individuals accessing true services, accessing clinical services, getting medication that they can’t afford. The enactment of this, I think, will truly impact the quality of life of everyone in San Francisco.” — Mark Salazar

I host and report for “Civic,” a San Francisco public affairs radio show and podcast from the Public Press. I've been a multimedia reporter and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I've reported on housing, health, immigration and homelessness for local news site Mission Local and produced conversations about local, regional and national current affairs for “Your Call,” a live call-in program on KALW-FM public radio.