Santa Clara County elected officials are vocalizing support for the LGBTQ community as school districts across California and the country are instituting policies harming these students. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution yesterday in support of gender-affirming care—social, psychological, behavioral and medical practices aimed at supporting a person’s gender identity....

Tens of thousands of people treated at Santa Clara County-owned hospitals may now qualify to have their medical debt erased. This comes in the wake of a June lawsuit settlement that accused Santa Clara Valley Healthcare of charging needy patients for care they should have received for free. The county said yesterday it has begun...

Santa Clara County is in the midst of a substance use crisis, and a multi-million-dollar state grant to combat drug addiction could change the course of untold lives.  The California Department of Health Care Services has awarded $6.4 million to San-Jose based Pathway Society, a substance use and counseling treatment organization. The funding enables the...

Santa Clara County is trying a unique way to intervene in drug addiction by doling out gift cards. A pilot program is launching in the next few weeks for those addicted to methamphetamine and other stimulant drugs. Participants will be given gift cards for each negative drug test they take over a 24-week period. They...

A ban on flavored tobacco is expected to drain funds for Silicon Valley organizations that serve low-income families. Last November state voters approved Prop. 31, which bars the sale of flavored tobacco. This comes on the heels of a flavored tobacco ban in San Jose. The unintended consequences of the state measure could reduce tax...

When Andy was 20 years old he had his head bashed into the cement during an unprovoked attack. Severely beaten, his mother thought he was gone, but Andy survived. A month later, he started hearing unexplained voices. Andy’s symptoms worsened during the next few months, and his mother, Kathryn, took him to San Jose Medical...

One of Santa Clara County’s newest mental health programs is expanding due to high demand. The Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Navigator Program launched last July in San Jose and Gilroy, connecting residents to county-contracted mental health services. Part of the program’s plan has been to increase its field services. As demand increased, the Santa...