SLO County settles with mother of teen who died in mental health facility
The mother of a Paso Robles teen who died at the San Luis Obispo County Crisis Stabilization Unit in 2024 reached a settlement with the county, the psych unit and some of its employees.
Linda Cooper is the mother of 19-year-old Elina Branco, who was brought to the now-closed Crisis Stabilization Unit in San Luis Obispo on May 15, 2024, to be closely monitored following an overdose.
Branco was set to begin treatment at a drug rehabilitation facility the next day, but she was dead by morning.
It was later discovered that Branco died from fentanyl poisoning between 10 p.m. and midnight, despite her charts reading she was alive and well all night, according to the coroner’s report.
Cooper filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the county, Sierra Mental Wellness Group — the company contracted to run the Crisis Stabilization Unit — and eight employees in September 2024, claiming that staff falsified records and lied to Cooper about her daughter’s health. The county denied the allegations.
On Friday, a notice that a settlement had been reached between the parties was filed with the court.
However, the details of the agreement are confidential, and according to the notice, the terms of the settlement must still be approved by both the SLO County Board of Supervisors and the county’s insurance provider, PRISM.
The county said it would not comment on the settlement until the terms are finalized and approved by the insurer.
The settlement comes four months after criminal medical fraud charges against the psych unit’s former technician, Janet Brown, were dismissed.
Brown was responsible for checking on Branco and writing her charts the night she was admitted to the Crisis Stabilization Unit — four out of five of which recorded the teen was sleeping and breathing normally when she was actually deceased. Brown was accused of falsifying the medical records.
Brown was not accused of being responsible for Branco’s death. Her trial ended in a hung jury, after which the case was dismissed by the court.
