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Listen Listen
Robert Garrova
What I cover
I’m always on the hunt for esoteric history and strange haunts since my first LAist/KPCC internship over a decade ago. And I break down complicated mental health stories in a place where the L.A. County jail is the de-facto mental health institution and the system of care can feel intractable.
My background
I started at LAist as an intern back in 2013. My public media journey includes time directing Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal and being very cold as a reporter in New Hampshire.
My goals
I want my coverage to fascinate and surprise SoCal residents, even the ones who have been here the longest. And I want my mental health stories to help people living with mental illness and their families understand complicated systems of care while feeling less alone in their journey.
Best way to reach me
I would love to hear from you if you have feedback or concerns about Explore LA or mental health stories. You can reach out by email, rgarrova@laist.com
Stories by Robert Garrova
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A plan to turn a property across the street from the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles into interim housing is in line with a larger "Care First, Jails Last" policy.
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Goals include centralizing dispatch operations and evaluating crisis response programs that provide alternatives to police.
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Police say they’re working to de-escalate confrontations with people in crisis, but an LAist investigation found deadly outcomes persist.
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The officers are the latest to be temporarily removed from duty while authorities investigate youth-on-youth violence at the Downey facility.
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More than half of proposed new positions would go to the Department of Mental Health. Some critics say that’s still far less than what’s needed.
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Tenants say the plan is not a long term solution to keeping units affordable for them.
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Caltrans workers are worried about a large boulder above the roadway and unstable land movement beneath it.
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Tenants in the 124-unit Chinatown complex say provisions in the deal for payment of back rent would make rents unaffordable for some.
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L.A. County plans to hire staff for eight new teams of mental health clinicians to follow up with people after a mental health crisis.
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Along with increasing food options, the federal program that helps millions pay for groceries made bumps to funding for fruits, veggies, and whole grains permanent.
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The move comes just days before a deadline to move some 300 incarcerated youths out of the facility if the L.A. County probation department failed to meet requirements related to safety, staffing and other matters.
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Isaias Cervantes was 25 and experiencing a mental health crisis in March 2021 when the shooting occurred at his home in the east L.A. County city of Cudahy.
