Mental care
Maria Orduño comforts son Alfredo Ruiz, 31. He became eligible for whatever it takes services under Proposition 63, the voter-approved surtax on incomes above $1million. She had previously sought help for him from various shelters and clinics while his illness spiraled out of control. (Robert Gauthier / LAT)
Ruiz, left, and caseworker Julio Alvarez discuss treatment as they stroll past the North Hollywood shelter where Ruiz lives. A team of more than a dozen clinicians is now helping him. (Robert Gauthier / LAT)
Vernon Hemingway, 52, is among those receiving less care today than before Prop. 63. The free group counseling sessions in his skid row neighborhood that he used to rely on to help deal with his bipolar illness are now run by patients, so he quit. (Robert Gauthier / LAT)
Ruiz in a photo taken by his mother when he was living on the streets of the San Fernando Valley. (Robert Gauthier / LAT)
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Maria Orduño walks with her son, Alfredo Ruiz, in Panorama City. Ruiz, who suffers from schizophrenia, spent nearly two years homeless. He now lives in a shelter and receives comprehensive services thanks to a program funded by Proposition 63. (Robert Gauthier / LAT)
