ORANGE COUNTY, CA. – For Helen Cortez, the memory of her son’s suffering is etched in her mind.

“You could just see the deterioration in his eyes,” Helen recalled. “He would sit for days in the same place, in his own waste, because he was in too much pain to move.”

For years, Helen desperately sought help for her son, whose mental illness left him homeless and unable to care for himself. But every time she pleaded for intervention, she ran into the same obstacle.

“They were telling me, ‘There’s nothing we can do. He doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t want help.’ And then they would leave,” she said.

SUGGESTED: New California law aims to force people with mental illness or substance abuse to get help

Left: Tyler Cortez before conservatorship. Right: Tyler Cortez after conservatorship.

Helen’s struggle mirrors that of Deborah Smith, another mother who spent more than a decade advocating on behalf of her son, Nicholas, who battles schizophrenia. Deborah told how a psychotic episode led to her arrest after donning a mask and brandishing a butcher knife outside a Nordstrom in Santa Monica.

“I’m sure he scared, you know what, everyone,” Deborah said.

After years of fierce advocacy, both mothers were finally granted guardianship of their sons, who are now thriving. Today, these two women are on the front lines fighting for other families trapped in similar struggles.

Nicholas Smith after guardianship.

“If we fail to preserve them, there will be a trail of bodies waiting,” Deborah warned.

California SB 43 is designed to expand guardianship criteria for people with serious mental illnesses, making it easier to place them in care. But despite his promise, Los Angeles And Orange counties delayed implementation until 2026, citing resource constraints.

Helen and Deborah say the delay is a tragic mistake.

“It can’t be that hard,” Helen said. “This is politics at its finest. We vote these people out based on their promises, and then nothing happens.”

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who opposed the delay, acknowledges the challenges.

“We don’t have enough beds. That’s a problem,” Foley admitted. “We are waiting for the state to grant us permission to begin implementation.”

Still, Foley said she understands the frustration of families like Helen and Deborah’s.

“I would love to move faster,” she said.

For Déborah, the delays are intolerable.

“How many more will have to die in the streets before you can muster your resources?” » she asked. “We are tired of waiting.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health released the following statement:

“Like 56 of California’s 58 counties, Los Angeles County has decided to delay the implementation of SB43 to ensure the long-term success of this groundbreaking reform. The new law was implemented without consideration of infrastructure, resources or supports, financial and otherwise, necessary for this massive and complex undertaking Los Angeles County has more than 4,200 people in 40 hospitals who must be trained on the changes to the law, in order. to be able to make clinically consistent decisions about what constitutes a “severe disability” while protecting individual civil rights. New bed capacity must be built to accommodate a population of patients who will need locked-down facilities. involuntarily held for treatment without first taking these steps, the work of getting people off the streets for their own health and safety This does not mean that Los Angeles County stands still. Our Pathway Home encampment resolution program has already moved hundreds of people indoors, as we have also largely supported the City of Los Angeles’ Inside Safe program, which has sheltered thousands more.