Several factors contribute to homelessness including job loss and financial crisis, mental health and substance abuse issues, lack of affordable housing and rising rents. Homelessness is on the rise in California and remains a challenging issue.
Our community is fortunate to have the Trinity Center which is committed to providing essential safety net services and a pathway forward for the unhoused. During my visit I was impressed with all of the resources The Trinity Center provides like housing focused case management, substance abuse programs, work development programs and health care. I was impressed by their approach, focused on helping people get off the streets and back on their feet again.
We are also lucky to have the Walnut Creek Homeless Task Force, a volunteer group that meets monthly to discuss solutions to homelessness.
Our police department also has the Homeless Outreach Team which makes efforts to address homelessness in Walnut Creek. They also connect people experiencing homelessness with resources.
We need to continue to support the organization we already have in place. We should look for business in the community that could form a mutually beneficial relationship with the work development program at the Trinity Center.
We also need a place for homeless people to shelter overnight. The Trinity Center is only open during daytime hours. By providing overnight shelter the homeless would have a designated safe place for temporary shelter and it would allow law enforcement to direct the homeless to these locations.
I also support the Trinity Center in advocating for the Cares Court. My work in the Emergency Department over the past 20 years has shown me that some people are incapable of accepting help. They live in squalor and are unable to access essential medications, health care, substance abuse counseling, basic hygiene or safe places to shelter. In some instances it is only humane to have them hospitalized or conserved.
My vision for Walnut Creek is a city that is admired for an exceptional quality of life; a beautiful, diverse, sustainable city, with a thriving innovative economy, beautiful open space and arts, a downtown with unique experiences, dining and shopping, top notch healthcare and education.
We have all witnessed the recent disturbing trend in politics. The most extreme voices from the fringes have begun to dominate the conversation. We’ve seen what has happened in our neighboring bay area communities when the rational voices from the middle are lost and I know we don’t want that to happen here.
I believe my 20+ years of experience in the ER provides the skills of leadership, listening, empathy, problem solving and collaboration that are required to serve on the City Council.
Did you know that 28% of the companies in Walnut Creek are in healthcare? When forming a leadership council I believe great value comes from leaders with a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experience. Currently there are no members of the City Council with a Healthcare background. I believe my experience and perspective will be a valuable addition to our current council.
I have spent the last 23 years practicing medicine. My experience in the ER is not just about medicine, it is about empathy, listening, digesting large quantities of information in a relatively short period of time and solving problems.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596