Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve funding to develop and construct an East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), and also authorized County staff to contract with Exodus Recovery to provide behavioral health treatment at the 16-bed psychiatric health facility jointly funded by the County and Tri-City Healthcare District.   

“The new east county facility is part of our ongoing plan to build out a functional, effective ecosystem of care for San Diegans who have been left out to dry through decades of poor planning and disinvestment in our support systems,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors. 

Crisis stabilization units are places that provide immediate mental health support and treatment services in a therapeutic setting to people with serious behavioral health needs who require urgent care beyond what an outpatient clinical service can provide. 

The East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit will be responsive to the unmet need for crisis services in the region, where some zip codes have experienced rates of mental health emergency calls in excess of 400 encounters per 10,000 population annually, filling a critical gap in the care continuum. 

Clients will receive care to help to deescalate a person’s level of distress, prevent or treat a behavioral health crisis, and reduce acute symptoms of a mental health condition. The units also support people with co-occurring substance use disorder, including those with opioid use disorder. 

A Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) is another type of treatment center, and the County entered into a joint agreement with  Tri-City Healthcare District to open one in North County, and today’s action by the Board of Supervisors to approve Exodus Recovery as the service provider will help make the project operational 

“Our County government is committed to delivering the treatment services residents need, and this new 16-bed facility in North County ensures all corners of our region are covered with the mental health support they need,” Supervisor Lawson-Remer continued. “Exodus Recovery is a partner people in North County trust. They already deliver care at two of our three North County Crisis Stabilization Units, and adding this new location will provide an easy transition for them and the patients.”