Latest news with #AssemblyBill179
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SJ County approves millions for Be Well Campus
Apr. 24—A facility focused on improving mental health and addressing substance abuse took a major step forward this week as San Joaquin County supervisors approved millions in funding to get the project off the ground. Supervisors approved the Be Well Campus' $261.8 million budget and awarded a $1.7 million service agreement to Oakland-based Herrero-McGuire Hester Joint Venture on Tuesday. The action marks the official launch of the project's first phase, which includes project validation and early design work, staff said. The Be Well Campus will be located on 23 acres of county-owned land near San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, providing crisis stabilization, detox and sobriety centers, youth and family outpatient services, and substance use treatment. Supervisors said the campus will serve as the cornerstone of a more compassionate, coordinated, and effective behavioral health system in the county. "This project is not just about building a facility — it's about investing in the future of health care for our growing community," board chair Paul Canepa said. "As our county continues to expand, we must ensure that our infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of our residents. By leveraging local resources and securing state and federal support, we're building a system of care that will address the mental health and substance use challenges our residents face, reduce homelessness, and offer long-term recovery options right here at home." The facility will be the first in the region to consolidate mental health and substance services under one roof, which Health Care Services Agency director Geneveive Valentine said will improve access, reduce stigma, and help residents avoid hospitalizations or incarceration. "Sixty percent of emergency room visits in our county are tied to acute substance use disorder," she said. "This project allows us to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right setting — for everyone in our community." Construction is expected to begin in September, with the first phase to be completed by July 2027. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned later this year. Funding will be made possible by a national opioid settlement that awarded the county $52.8 million over the next 18 years, as well as Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program monies and allocations from Assembly Bill 179. Funds from Health Plan of San Joaquin and private sector matches will also be allocated to the project, along with public health monies secured by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. To date, $66.29 million has been secured, with an additional $232 million identified through pending grants and local partnerships, the county said. "This is a big win for our community," Supervisor Steve Ding said. "The Be Well Campus is going to change lives. It means people in Lodi and across San Joaquin County will finally have real access to behavioral health care — close to home, when they need it most. For too long, outdated rules have stood in the way of building the kind of treatment centers we actually need."
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Union workers written up, fired for using sick days; Nevada lawmaker moves to close loophole
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Some union workers are afraid to use sick days because they might be written up or fired for being 'undependable,' and now a Nevada lawmaker is coming to their aid. A 2019 law that guaranteed paid leave for employees has been weaponized by companies that are exploiting a loophole in the language. Now, Democratic Assem. Selena La Rue Hatch is sponsoring Assembly Bill 179 (AB179) to close that loophole related to workers under collective bargaining agreements. The law was written with the intent of guaranteeing time off for employees. A woman who has worked for a company for nearly 14 years told her story in Carson City on Friday. Amanda Whitten, a member of Teamsters Local 553, described her ordeal. Along with other employees at a company that was not named, she has been written up every time she used a sick day in recent years. 'In July 2024, I had to use a sick day and received a discharge letter as I was deemed a dependability issue,' Whitten said. 'Prior to that, I hadn't used a sick day since 2023, December, almost 9 months.' Nevada lawmakers seek LGBTQ+ landmark status for Las Vegas 'Fruit Loop' After the first year of employment, the company gave workers nine sick days per year. 'I had a full bank of sick days meant for emergencies. But now I constantly worry needing to take time off for myself or my elementary-aged daughter who — like most kids her age — is prone to getting sick.' When she used sick time in October due to severe stomach flu, she got another discharge letter. She still has her job, but she's worried about the discharges on her record, and she sees her co-workers coming to work sick all the time. Proposed $500,000 fund would help victims of investment schemes in Nevada A Teamsters union representative told lawmakers that workers think they don't have the right to call in sick anymore. Union members turned out to testify in support of AB179. The Vegas Chamber and the Nevada Resort Association opposed the bill. A representative with the Nevada Contractors Board said the bill needs to be adjusted to ensure employers subject to collective bargaining agreements don't have to pay for the time off twice. The Nevada Hospital Association argued that businesses — and hospitals in particular — need the ability to apply progressive discipline for absences, calling it a patient safety issue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
