They offer therapy to homeless Californians – wherever they can

When people in California talk about mental health and homelessness, they usually think of the sickest people: those living on the streets in the grip of psychosis.

But conditions like depression, anxiety and PTSD actually are much more common among homeless Californians. Although less visible, these conditions can be debilitating and derail people’s efforts to obtain housing. And people on the street often have a hard time finding a therapist and getting to a clinic for appointments.

To solve this problem, therapists began providing treatment directly to homeless patients in camps.

• Lisette Carmonatherapist in Los Angeles: “You can find me on the river bed, you can find me in a tent…Wherever the patient feels comfortable, that’s where I conduct their therapy.”

This type of treatment has made a huge difference in the lives of patients like Jessica Scott, 35, who said her anxiety was so bad she panicked when she tried to make appointments to find housing. While living in her stepfather’s car, she began seeing a therapist who taught her self-soothing techniques. A few weeks ago, she moved into an apartment in Sacramento.

• Scott: “When you panic so much that you can’t talk to people, it’s hard to do anything.”

Not everyone who wants therapy on the street can get it. The doctors, nurses and clinicians CalMatters spoke with estimate that between 80% and 90% of their patients have a mental health condition — most commonly depression, anxiety and PTSD — that could benefit from therapy. One street psychiatrist said his team could only provide therapy to 5% of patients who could use it.

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How much surveillance are you willing to accept as possible discount on your car insurance?

It is central to the debate over legislation that would allow insurance companies to monitor driver behavior through telematics — technology installed in cars that transmits data such as location, speed, braking and turning. In return, drivers who choose to use telematics and drive safely can get discounts on their premiums, CalMatters’ Levi Sumagasai writes.

Consumer and privacy advocates who oppose the bill say the use of telematics raises privacy and transparency concerns. In a June letter to lawmakers, Josephine Figueroa, California’s deputy insurance commissioner, also argued that the bill complicates the insurance department’s authority to approve rates because telematics would be involved.

• Figueroain the letter: “The bill creates wide loopholes in liability, dilutes regulatory oversight, and allows insurance companies to shift key regulatory responsibilities to unregulated third-party telematics providers.”

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Police at California public universities and colleges are required by law to disclose any military weapons in their possession. But a CalMatters investigation of all 148 public campuses in the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems found that not every college is complying any part of the law.

Phoebe Huss of CalMatters College Journalism Network reviewed through dozens of annual reports to create a comprehensive equipment inventory. The reports included hundreds of semi-automatic rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and hundreds of thousands of rounds of rifle ammunition.

The reports and policies also revealed that:

• Many campuses omitted important information, including manufacturers’ product descriptions, current inventories, and equipment quantities.
• Multiple police departments said they did not hold a campus forum in 2025 for the public to provide feedback on the equipment, a requirement under the law.
• Not all equipment listed is approved for use by regional or state governing boards. San Jose State University, for example, said in 2025 that its police department possesses tear gas grenades, but California state policy does not authorize the use of tear gas grenades.

Read more about military weapons at California colleges, and if you’re a student journalist, learn how you can explore your own campus.