August in San Francisco repeats the worst recorded month for accidental overdose deaths
San Francisco, CA — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first eight months of 2023. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in August is 84, which brings the total for the year up to 563. This is 165 more than the 398 […]
Direct-Service Challenges and Advocacy in Strengthening Recruitment and Retention for the Behavioral Health Workforce
San Francisco, CA – Yesterday, as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors reconvened during the outset of Recovery Month – a time to celebrate the recovery journey and all its challenges and triumphs – we wish to acknowledge San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani for her attention to gaps in the continuum of care for those in […]
Healthright 360 Refutes False Claims and Misinformation in Supervisor Dorsey’s Letter to Mayor Breed Calling to Reappropriate Critical Public Health Intervention Funding
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – On Friday, August 4, Supervisor Matt Dorsey wrote to Mayor London Breed, urging her to cut the recently approved City funding for Wellness Hubs and reallocate the money to “jail-based treatment and recovery services.”[1] Moving money from desperately needed voluntary street-based resources in favor of criminalization and ineffective access to care through […]
Over 400 Accidental Overdose Deaths in San Francisco During First Half of 2023
San Francisco, CA — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first six months of 2023. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in June is 53, which brings the total for the year up to 406. This is 101 accidental overdose deaths more than the […]
San Francisco Continues Record Accidental Overdose Mortality Rate With Highest May Overdose Deaths
San Francisco, CA — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first five months of 2023. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in May is 74, which brings the total for the year up to 346 — 100 more than the 246 that occurred […]
Shame on CNN and Anderson Cooper
Last night, CNN aired, “The Whole Story: What Happened to San Francisco” — it was anything but the whole story. Shame on CNN and Anderson Cooper for being so incredibly desperate for ratings that they have veered solidly away from journalistic integrity to a performative, one-sided hit piece on San Francisco. Glaringly missing from the […]
Statement on the Death of Banko Brown
San Francisco, CA — On Thursday, April 27, San Francisco experienced a tragic loss with the shooting and killing of Banko Brown, a young community organizer and transgender man, by a security guard outside of Walgreens at 825 Market Street. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We believe, as Banko Brown’s […]
Joint Statement of Opposition to a Law Enforcement Response to the Overdose Crisis in San Francisco
As organizations that advocate to improve community health and provide associated direct services, we are deeply concerned about the overdose crisis and impact of increased law enforcement presence on the safety of our communities. All residents, including those in historically low-income neighborhoods, should feel safe walking the street, gathering outside, and bringing their children to […]
San Francisco Sees Significant Increase in Fatal Overdoses After Closure of the Tenderloin Center Without a Replacement, and With Increased Punitive Measures for People Who Use Drugs
San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first three months of this year. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in March 2023 is 66, which brings the total accidental overdose deaths this year to 200. According to the San […]
How to Address the Overdose Crisis & Reduce Public Drug Use Without Compelling Treatment
STATEMENT BY VITKA EISEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, HEALTHRIGHT 360, IN ADVANCE OF PARTICIPATION AT TOGETHERSF ACTION “DOES SAN FRANCISCO ENABLE DRUG USE?” PANEL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2023 For information on tonight’s TogetherSF Action Panel, visit: https://www.mobilize.us/tsfaction/event/552818/ San Francisco, CA — All opioid overdose deaths are preventable, and every year, thousands of lives are saved by […]
Outrage at Governor Newsom’s decision to veto SB 57, landmark overdose prevention bill
The Safer Inside coalition denounces the decision by Governor Newsom to turn his back on the drug overdose crisis and Californians dying from fatal overdose. SAN FRANCISCO, August 22, 2022–Today, the Safer Inside Coalition denounces Governor Gavin Newsom’s shocking decision to veto SB 57 (introduced by Senator Scott Wiener), which if passed would have allowed […]
Statement on Hateful Actions, Harmful Rhetoric, and Damaging Stigma
San Francisco – Over the July 4th weekend, a number of individuals all wearing “Blue Lives Matter” shirts attempted to gain unauthorized access to our two newest HealthRIGHT 360 programs—both programs offering low-barrier, loving, health-promoting, harm reduction services in San Francisco. The goal of their intrusion was to film our clients/guests with the intent of […]