Senator Says Save Part of Hospital

U. S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is endorsing a plan to preserve a piece of Camarillo State Hospital for patients with local families, adding her name to a growing list of lawmakers troubled by the hardships facing area residents as the mental institution winds to a close.

Earlier this week, the California Democrat fired off a letter in support of efforts to set aside a portion of the hospital property as a treatment center for patients with families in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

In her letter, Feinstein urges state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo) to include the treatment program in his bill transferring possession of the property to the Cal State University system when the hospital closes June 30.

“A sensible plan to care for some of the most severely developmentally disabled residents at Camarillo Hospital would be to set aside a facility on the grounds specifically for these locally based patients,” Feinstein wrote.

“The legislation you introduced . . . presents a wonderful opportunity to meet these critical needs,” the letter said. “I hope that you would consider amending this legislation to allow a scaled-down version of Camarillo to coexist with the new California State University.”

Feinstein’s support comes at a time when the treatment center proposal is picking up key endorsements, including that of Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge), who earlier this month threatened to withdraw his support for the university unless Cal State officials warm up to the idea.

And it comes at a time when the transfer of Camarillo State patients is being scrutinized. Gov. Pete Wilson has launched a statewide probe into allegations that many of California’s mentally disabled residents are being pushed into community homes, where they receive substandard care.

“I think the tide could be changing,” said Oxnard resident Leo O’Hearn, who is among dozens of parents who lobbied state and federal legislators to include the treatment center in their plans for the property.

“If they could just set aside a little piece out there, that’s all we have ever wanted,” O’Hearn added. “It makes so much sense and it should be done.”

O’Hearn and others have been making that pitch for months.

After Wilson ordered closure of the 60-year-old mental hospital last year, he established a handpicked task force to explore uses for the 750-acre property sandwiched between Oxnard and Camarillo.

In November, task force members endorsed a plan to convert the hospital into a Cal State campus.

But, at the same time, the task force strongly recommended that state officials explore a plan to use a portion of that property to treat those mentally ill and retarded patients with families in the immediate area.

As proposed by the parents, the program would operate out of the children’s unit, a 66-bed facility in a remote corner of the hospital property. The state would lease the property to the county for a nominal fee, and the county in turn would run the program or find a nonprofit group to operate it.

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The treatment program would have room for up to 75 former Camarillo State patients, mentally ill and developmentally disabled clients whose families live in the area.

But with the end in sight for the old mental hospital, the proposal has been largely overshadowed by efforts to transform the property into Ventura County’s first public university.

Now hospital advocates are turning their attention to O’Connell, hoping to persuade him to include the treatment program in the transfer bill.

“That’s the only thread of hope we have,” said Ventura County Supervisor John K. Flynn, who is helping spearhead that campaign. “We’ve done what we can, but certainly Dianne Feinstein carries more clout than we do.”

For his part, O’Connell said he would welcome the treatment center, if it fit with plans to convert the hospital into a university. But he is not inclined to amend his bill, unwilling to dictate to Cal State officials how they should use the property.

“If it can be economically viable, I’m certain the CSU would continue to look at that as an option,” O’Connell said. “But at this point, it would be inappropriate [to amend the bill]. It’s not my decision. Ultimately, it’s the CSU’s decision.”

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Cal State officials were unavailable for comment Friday. But they have said they do not believe that a locked treatment facility is compatible with a university campus.

Nevertheless, hospital advocates say they haven’t given up hope.

They are quick to point out that a lot of parents, many of them elderly, are now faced with the prospect of traveling hundreds of miles to visit their sons and daughters.

And they are thankful that after all these months, people are responding to what they have to say. One thing is for sure, they now have Feinstein’s attention.

“The senator weighed in because she believes this is a common-sense approach to allow part of the Camarillo facility to be maintained for local residents,” said Bill Chandler, Feinstein’s state director.

“In an era of declining facilities, where we need to maintain quality care, this just makes very sound sense,” he added. “The senator believes this could be a very good middle-ground solution that would speak to the concerns of the parents and the needs of the patients.”