County Prepares To Implement Prop 1; Will Seek State Funding For Treatment Facilities

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News Date
07/16/24
Description

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today authorized its Behavioral Health Services experts to pursue some of the $6.38 billion in funding the State of California is making available. The County will seek grant funding to bring online a Substance Use Residential and Treatment Services facility, the new Children’s Crisis Residential Care facility and Central Region Community-Based Care facility.  

“We have been working with hospitals, non-profits, service providers, and community partners to build-up treatment capacity, and the action we have taken is another important step forward,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Our County will aggressively compete for those State dollars. Scaling-up treatment capacity is a continuous process we are committed to because it will help us get people with mental health and addiction issues off the streets and into treatment.” 

In the policy presented by San Diego County Behavioral Health staff and listed in the Board Letter are as follows:

Substance Use Residential & Treatment Services 

  • “...The SURTS facility will establish new substance use residential and treatment services in the South Region to enhance access to care locally for people with substance use conditions who are Medi-Cal eligible. Located on a County-owned parcel, the SURTS facility will require renovations, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, modernization of residential rooms and office spaces, and the building-out of the Annex, which will include a kitchen and laundry facility. Extensive planning has already occurred and the total estimated cost for this renovation is $26.8 million. It is anticipated that the SURTS facility will establish between 72 and 96 new substance use residential treatment and recuperative care beds, depending on the most optimal model determined. This project is in Phase 1: Planning and Predevelopment, with architectural plans at 50%. The County awarded a contract for architectural and engineering services in February 2023, and the design phase, including construction planning, is nearing completion…” 

Children’s Crisis Residential Care Facility 

  • “...Crisis residential care, often an alternative to hospitalization, is an essential level of care for the treatment of children and youth with serious emotional disturbance in mental health crisis. Currently, crisis treatment is unavailable to many children and youth in regions throughout California. To address this challenge, in 2021, Assembly Bill (AB) 153 was passed establishing the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program (CCCPP), a five-year program to be jointly implemented by California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and DHCS…”

Central Region Community-Based Care 

  • “...Although the Central Region CBC facility currently does not meet the existing criteria for priority services outlined by the State, the project would be strongly situated to submit for Bond BHCIP grant funds if the State guidance were to shift to include licensed board and cares. The Central Region CBC project is of high priority and aligns with County priorities. The County will pursue advocacy with the State around establishing licensed board and care services as an eligible service for Bond BHCIP grant funds. The CBC facility will be sited on a County-owned parcel in the Central Region and will establish new board and care slots dedicated for people with behavioral health conditions who are MediCal eligible. Locally, we have prioritized the need to establish new board and care capacity, as outlined in the OCP model, as approved by the Board of Supervisors on September 27, 2022 (23) and April 9, 2024 (20). Specifically, the OCP model outlines the need for approximately 400 new licensed board and care beds across our region to support people with behavioral health needs. Upon completion of construction, the Central Region CBC is anticipated to establish up to approximately 148 new beds, making progress toward the 400 new board and care slots needed…” 

Read the entire policy here.