For a year, reporter Tara Campbell followed the women in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles as they navigated courts, bureaucracy and HIPAA regulations. The final film was an illuminating glimpse into the many ways families are hindered by the very systems that are supposed to be helping them.
Jacqui Berlinn has spent years trying to keep an eye on her son Corey as he battles fentanyl addiction on the streets of San Francisco. Debbie Smith’s son Nick has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and turned to pharmaceuticals to ease his symptoms. Smith, based in L.A., continues to fight for assistance for Nick despite the fact that he has repeatedly threatened her life. Finally, Elizabeth (no last name is provided) in Sacramento did not receive promised assistance from authorities when her daughter Christine was found to be gravely mentally ill. Christine has cycled in and out of addiction and transient living ever since.
On Oct. 30, Campbell will be appearing at the Tenderloin Museum as part of a special screening of A Mother’s Hope.