Supervisor Fielder taking a leave of absence, citing mental health reasons Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s staff on Sunday announced that the District 9 representative would be taking a medical leave of absence while she is “navigating a mental health condition and needs time and space to recover before making any major decisions. Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s staff on Sunday announced that the District 9 representative would be taking a medical leave of absence while she is "navigating a mental health condition and needs time and space to recover before making any major decisions. "" has stated she wants to regain stable health so she can thoughtfully and responsibly consider her options," the release from her staff states.The release states Fielder had asked her staff to share that information, following speculation on Friday that the 31-year-old supervisor had been hospitalized and might resign from her position.Information available at the time stated Fielder was experiencing "an acute personal health crisis.""... The District 9 office will remain dedicated to meeting the needs of our constituents, neighbors and community members," the release states. "We urge everyone to treat this situation with the same respect and sensitivity as they would if she were recovering from any other medical emergency. Mental health conditions affect one in five adults nationwide. Breaking the cycle of stigma of this human experience and prioritizing our health is critical, and is no different for those who have the opportunity to serve their communities in government."Fielder has been one of the more progressive voices on the Board of Supervisors during her tenure. She is a former San Francisco State University teacher who has described herself as a "Latina renter and Democratic Socialist." She also represents the Portola and Bernal Heights neighborhoods in District 9. She is a self-described climate and environmental justice advocate.From 2018 to 2020, Fielder taught "Race, Women and Class" at SFSU in the College of Ethnic Studies.Before becoming a supervisor, Fielder was co-director of Stop the Money Pipeline, a national coalition and campaign focused on disrupting the flow of money into fossil fuel companies, where she worked on climate financial regulation.If Fielder does resign, Mayor Daniel Lurie would make an appointment to fill her term. This could be an opportunity for Lurie to install a more moderate politician in a historically progressive district.Mayor Lurie on Friday issued a statement regarding Fielder’s health."I am sending Supervisor Fielder my best wishes for a speedy recovery. She is a dedicated advocate for her community," Lurie’s statement reads. "I am encouraging everyone to give her time and space to get better so she can do that work fully, and I’m wishing her strength and all the best for her health."Several of Fielder’s Board of Supervisors colleagues have issued statements wishing her a speedy recovery."This is not the first time a member of the Board of Supervisors has been incapacitated for a long period of time. Michela Alito-Pier was out for three months, and we were able to facilitate the representation of that district while she was out and her staff kept working," Supervisor Myrna Melgar said in a statement. "I have full confidence that the District 9 staff can and will do that as well.""Sadly, I’ve never met the supervisor for this neighborhood in all the time we’ve been here. We have a lot of outward community events… I know we just had a merchants meeting this week, actually invited her to attend and we hosted it with the expectation that she was going to be there, and she didn’t come with no word," Renee DeCarlo, founder of the Drawing Room, told KTVU on Friday. "I’m really sad and very worried that she’s ill and that something bigger may be going on."Salu Ribiero, founder of BayPLS & member of Unidos en Salud, said his organization collaborated with Fielder during the pandemic."We did a lot of work on Capp Street, doing vaccinations and testing, so I’ve worked in the Mission District since the pandemic, since 2019," Ribiero said. "I want to make sure we keep her safety and whatever she happening with her, it’s up to her to make that decision and that call, and for us, we’re just praying that she gets well and we’ll see what happens after."