Photo via Larkin Street Youth Services
There are over a thousand homeless youth in San Francisco. Almost half are queer. As a sanctuary city, we have tons of undocumented youth. And like any city, we have survivors of abuse and trafficking. Not to mention how many teens and transitional aged youth are facing substance abuse and mental health issues.
We’ve found that interventions at a local level through wraparound service hubs can help these young folks. Just because you have a bad childhood doesn’t mean you’re going to have those issues for life. So why the fuck is The City closing these clinics and pushing everyone to General? Do they really think it’s safe, accessible, and reachable for these kids? Is a scared, pregnant young woman or a teen who needs STI meds going to go to the Big Zuck?
A video last week highlights the issue. The kids call this woman “Auntie Lisa” because of the tender, close relationship they have with her. She helps them. And now we’re cutting her position, and tons of others.
One supporter says, “Larkin Street Youth Clinic was lifesaving for me when I was a teenager. To see our current mayor planning to shut down this and other clinics is disgusting.” And they’re not the only one upset.
Susanne Zago is an experienced mental health clinician who has spent 19 years working at the Larkin Street Youth Clinic and the Cole Street Youth Clinic in San Francisco. Last week, she learned that the clinics are being closed with the excuse of budget cuts.
She’s witnessed firsthand the impact these clinics have had on some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable young people. Zago says, “Many of them have been failed by every other institution in their lives. We are often their last resort.”
It couldn’t come at a worse time. While these closures are framed as being driven by fiscal constraints and shifting political landscapes, the long-term cost to the fabric of our society will prove to far outweigh any supposed short-term savings. These youth won’t disappear. Their problems will fester until the interventions are far more costly. If you’re going to use the language of economics to describe this very human crisis, you ought to realize that.
We’re at a pivotal moment as a nation. Do we care about the people most at risk under the Trump administration? Or do we have local politicians who act exactly like Trump but happen to wear a blue tie instead of a red one?
You can find out more about the rally on 4/20 in the flyer below.
Use your voice and speak up for the kids and young folk who are going to suffer, especially if you didn’t have anyone to speak up for you when you were younger.
