THOUSAND OAKS : More Supervision OKd for Mentally Ill

Pressured by outraged neighbors, Ventura County mental health officials have agreed to increase supervision at a Thousand Oaks home for mentally ill men.

A counselor has been assigned to visit the four residents two or more hours daily, said Randy Feltman, county mental health director. Counselors had been visiting the home once a week.

The agreement to increase supervision was prompted by neighborhood demands to provide 24-hour monitoring of the home on Valley High Avenue.

A group of 70 nearby residents, most bitterly opposed to placing the home in a residential neighborhood, appeared at a town meeting that lasted until late Tuesday night.

In an outburst that turned hostile, a small group stood as some shouted at Feltman and Supervisor Maria VanderKolk, who organized and chaired the meeting. The angry residents called for an explanation of the county’s decision to place the mentally ill in homes alongside families with children.

The program encourages adults with milder forms of mental illness to live independently by placing them in a living situation where they pay rent, cook meals and arrange their own transportation.

The county has operated similar programs in Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Simi Valley for the past 10 years.

Program supervisor and nurse Julie Ames agreed to park a county vehicle outside the home to let residents know that a counselor is present, she said Wednesday. Residents who have questions or concerns were also urged to call a Conejo Valley mental health worker at 494-8280.