在深入採訪四位移民律師與維權人士、並參加多個移民權利研討會和記者會之後，The Public Press 整理出以下建議。
Category: Social Services
Posted inCommunity, Health, Hepatitis B: A ‘Silent Killer’, Social Services
Researchers Seek Hepatitis B Cure as Trump Slashes Health Agency Funding
The Trump administration’s efforts to slash medical research funding threaten progress toward a cure for hepatitis B. Its proposed budget calls for $1.8 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the elimination of all federal funding for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, along with additional cuts to the Food and Drug Administration, which has final say on approving new drugs and treatments. The cuts are just the latest in a series of hurdles that researchers and clinicians face in managing hepatitis B infections in the United States.
Posted inCommunity, Health, Hepatitis B: A ‘Silent Killer’, Social Services
Stigma, Insufficient Screening Keep Hepatitis B in the Shadows
Commonly known as a “silent killer” because it can have few symptoms, chronic hepatitis B can lead to liver damage or cancer, is not well studied and as a research area remains underfunded. Many living with it face significant social stigma, which discourages getting tested and leaves patients isolated and unwilling to open up about their experiences.
The silence hits immigrant communities the hardest, a phenomenon advocates have spent decades trying to fix. Asian Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B, especially by chronic infections. Years of community work have led to better outreach, and new efforts like universal screening are starting to build momentum.
Posted inHealth, Hepatitis B: A ‘Silent Killer’, Immigration, Social Services
Poorly Tracked Virus Is a ‘Silent Killer’ Affecting Asian Americans Most
Hepatitis B is widely misunderstood, a problem worsened by insufficient screening and detection. Chronic hepatitis B isn’t as consistently detected as are acute cases, allowing the disease to frequently progress unchecked and do more damage. According to the World Health Organization, only 13% of those living with the virus know they have it, leaving many, especially in immigrant and marginalized communities, undiagnosed and without access to timely treatment.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Government & Politics, Health, Social Services
Veterans Say VA Staffing Cuts Are Worsening Their Lives
As the Trump administration cuts tens of thousands of federal jobs under the guise of “efficiency,” veterans say the sweeping layoffs and surreptitious push toward privatization are worsening their lives and eroding essential Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare and support programs.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, City Hall, Homelessness, Law & Justice, Public Safety, Social Services
Visible Progress or Political Theater? Factions Disagree on How to Clean Up Street Conditions
In February, the San Francisco Police Department converted a Sixth Street parking lot in South of Market to what it called a triage center — a fenced-off area where police could connect people to social services or put them in a van bound for jail.
According to a city staff report, in the first month of the triage center’s operation, police made 350 arrests, three-quarters of them drug related. Triage personnel connected 275 people to shelter and 408 people to health care.
Advocates for people struggling with homelessness or substance use disorder say the city’s approach is unnecessarily punitive, but some business owners and community members say they approve of what the mayor and Police Department are doing.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Social Services
Federal Grant Freeze Order Sows Confusion for SF Food, Health Programs
The grant freeze order was slated to take effect Tuesday, but that same day a federal judge delayed the effective date of part of the order to Feb. 3. In the meantime, local and state agencies are scrambling to figure out what programs will be affected.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Health, Overdose Crisis, Social Services
Overdose Prevention Centers — Nonstarter in SF, Despite Success in NYC
San Francisco officials appear to have abandoned efforts to open facilities where people can consume drugs under supervision — even as more cities adopt the model to prevent deadly overdoses.
Recent studies show that overdose prevention centers save lives, keep people from consuming drugs in public and do not lead to increased crime.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Social Services
SF Lawmaker Pitches Pay Cuts for Top Officials to Ease Budget Woes
In an effort to help fill budget gaps and bolster some essential city services, one San Francisco lawmaker is proposing pay cuts at the highest levels of government.
City Hall has faced increasing budget shortfalls since the COVID-19 pandemic, which hobbled the downtown office real estate market, disrupting a major source of tax revenue. Mayor London Breed’s latest proposal to close the budget deficit, projected at $790 million over the next two fiscal years, has met objection from some officials and local social service providers.
Posted inHealth, Homelessness, Social Services
You Report an Unhoused Person in a Mental Health Crisis. This Is What Happens Next
In San Francisco, it is not uncommon to cross paths with a person experiencing homelessness in the throes of a mental health crisis. The scene can be tragic, confusing and sometimes might feel dangerous.
Bystanders might wonder how to summon help from the city — and what will happen if they do.
We created a flow chart to answer those questions. We show how cases traverse a tangle of pathways, through handoffs between dispatchers and myriad public workers. The person in crisis might spend days or weeks tumbling through the criminal justice system or health care facilities. Often, they return to where they started: the streets.