Governor Gavin Newsom Visits Local Recovery Center In Effort To Push for Proposition 1

Governor Gavin Newsom was here in the Coachella Valley today.

The governor was joined by local officials, Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia who all discussed the importance and lack of resources for mental health, housing, substance abuse, and more, in a one hour visit to the ABC Recovery Center.

He toured the clinic and met with organizers on a mission promoting a bond measure that he calls one of the most pressing issues affecting every single one of us, Proposition 1.

The $6.38 billion bond if passed by California voters, would help build mental health treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance use challenges, in addition to providing housing for the unhoused.

“Simply don’t have the beds. Beds are foundational, they’re critical, as is workforce, and one of the things that’s so significant about Proposition 1 is not just the $6.38 billion, but it’s the reform of the mental health services act… and part of that reform is around prioritization.” Governor Gavin Newsom said at Friday’s press conference.

It’s spaces like the ABC Recovery Center in Indio who are urging California voters to vote yes on Prop 1.

They currently have 56 beds in their addiction treatment center and the CEO of the center says, that’s not enough.

“We have 56 beds of housing. So you see the bottleneck, how am I going to fit, you know, 195 into 56, it’s just not going to work. So, if Prop 1 were to pass and additional rfps were released, specifically what ABC would be looking at is securing additional housing.” Chris Yingling, the CEO of ABC Recovery Center says.

Governor Newsom added that through this proposition it would add more than 11,000 new treatment beds and over 26,000 outpatient slots throughout the state.

Not only helping those with mental health and substance use issues, but to help those that went through recovery, to continue to be in the environment they need to be successful.

“We first have to make sure that they’re stable. You have to have housing. That’s why the housing first model works. We also need to have to have continuum of care services. That’s why that system works, which is connected to behavioral health, wraparound services, primary health care.” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez says.

The governor says it was the pandemic that refocused attention on these issues and made them a priority. He says these are ‘the most vexing and challenging issues that unites each and every one of us.” 

“Now people are more willing and open to discuss their own experiences. People are more willing and open to focus on actually being part of the solution, and resources are being invested in this place.” Governor Newson says.

Before he left, the governor made sure to point out that this bond that the ballot measure would fund, more than six billion dollars, will not actually require a tax increase. Instead he says it will redirect existing funds that were approved years ago, and now it’s up to California voters.