This is the view outside my hotel deck this afternoon in Half Moon Bay, CA. It's really beautiful. But it's not the view I was expecting. I was expecting a grittier view as I visited for a few hours with my son Tim somewhere in downtown San Francisco's Mission Street area. I travel a lot for my job as President and CEO of Mental Health America. When those trips bring me to northern California, I always try to build in some extra time so I can visit with Tim. Today was no exception. I got up at 3:15 am to catch a 5:30 am flight out of Washington that got me to San Francisco by 11. I have something for work at 6, so I expected to have several hours with Tim. But visiting with Tim takes planning in advance. Tim has schizophrenia. He has lived in San Francisco for the last decade. He has often been homeless, or in jail, or in treatment. Even when he has housing, he doesn't stay in one place very long, and he doesn't have a phone. So I make my plans through t
An occasional column focusing on federal, state, and local health policy