Oh that really is tough. I've been there. It's only been a year for me since it happened to me. Believe me, it can happen to ANYBODY. I went from having thousands of dollars to nothing in no time flat.

Luckily I think NYC has more options than where I am from.
I became homeless when a relationship I had disintegrated and I was kicked out of my apartment. My family was no help. I was all alone too. Do you have T you can talk to? I called my T for emotional support and he helped me plan stuff out, but I had to reach out for help because other people don't just know what's going on unless you tell them. Hardest part was telling someone that I didn't know what to do.

If nothing else, I don't know what your religion is, but it doesn't matter that much-- the Catholic Church has an obligation to help those in need. If you don't have any issues with religion or priests (even if you aren't Catholic) a Catholic Church might be a great help. There are tons of Catholic churches in NYC, and I trust them before I like would ever trust government agencies (especially considering NYC's mental health laws and substandard services). Most of these churches you can just walk right into and see a priest in between services. Maybe some other churches are the same way? I only found out about the church thing after the fact though (and I'm not Catholic btw). God or no God, priests are people who have obligations. I find that when God doesn't talk I come up with answers anyway.

What is in CA? Who will be there? Do you have money? How will you get there? I don't necessarily believe jetting the state is a good idea when you are so vulnerable. Update us!