Health

East Bay suicide prevention and social services programs are offering a new course that teaches the public how to recognize and respond to mental illness.

Dr. Beau Kilmer, 39, sits on the “Ask an Expert” desk at the “Altered State: Marijuana in California” exhibition, answering questions about legalization of marijuana at the Oakland Museum of California on Friday, September 9, 2016.

Thirty-five years ago, Abdul Talev’s grandfather opened a small grocery store in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. Today, with the family business in his care, Talev is worried a new soda tax will cause him to lose business, or even worse, force him to close his doors.  The controversial tax Talev is referring to is Measure HH on Oakland’s November ballot. Measure HH would impose a one cent per ounce tax on the distribution of sodas and other sugary beverages….

While a “grocery tax” or “soda tax” by another name may not sound as sweet, there’s no denying the battle surrounding Measure HH relies heavily on semantics.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and a new bill aims to address the mental health crises faced by many California students. Assembly Bill 2246 would mandate that every California school serving grades seven through 12 adopt suicide prevention policies that specifically address high-risk students, including LGBTQ youth, those experiencing homelessness or foster care, those bereaved by suicide and those with mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

kindVR is developing customized 360 degree virtual reality therapies aimed at pain mitigation and stress.

Josephine, an Oakland-based food startup, lets home cooks profit from their culinary creations by selling to their neighbors.

“Hello, sir. What do you need today?” Braunz Courtney says with a welcoming smile, standing comfortably behind a buffet of sterile syringes and pipes.

“I need some medium sharps,” his client Vernon, 64, responds.

With the recent closure of Oakland’s 74-year-old Lions Center for the Blind, clients and staff alike are wondering how to move forward.