A celebratory news conference was held today to usher in San Diego County’s new streamlined approach to treating mental health and addiction at the soon-to-be-built Behavioral Health Wellness Campus. It will be located in the Midway District after San Diego County was conditionally awarded $99.5 million in the second round of Proposition 1 Bond Funding. The project is slated to replace a vacant complex adjacent to the existing San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital.    

The one-stop campus will serve more than 20,000 residents each year and serve as a statewide model for integrated behavioral health infrastructure reducing reliance on emergency rooms and incarceration. 

Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer

“We are here because of the tenacity of our Behavioral Health Services team — led by Director Nadia Privara-Brahms — and because voters across California stepped up to approve Proposition 1 when our region needed it most,” said San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. “Every day in our region, we see what happens when mental-health and addiction needs go unmet. We see it in overcrowded emergency rooms. We see it on our streets. We see it in families struggling quietly behind closed doors. No one is immune. And no one should have to face their hardest moment alone. That is why we are investing in care before crisis.”

Nadia Privara Brahms - Director of County Behavioral Health

“We’re thrilled to receive nearly $100 million in State grant funding to bring our vision for the Behavioral Health Wellness Campus to life,” said Nadia Privara Brahms, director of County Behavioral Health Services. “Thanks to this unprecedented award, we will be able to add 210 new treatment beds and slots that will significantly improve access to care for beneficiaries experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.”

Ebony Shelton - San Diego County’s Chief Administrative Officer

“The County, this Board of Supervisors and Behavioral Health Services are transforming the way we care for our community’s well-being,” said Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton. “This project reflects our continuing investment in programs and services that connect people to care that can change and save lives.” 

 Marko Medved - General Services Director

“This new Behavioral Health Wellness Campus is a flagship project that demonstrates how County facilities support the full continuum of care” said General Services Director Marko Medved. “Once complete, this campus will become a cornerstone of San Diego County’s Behavioral Health system.”

 Dr. Steve Koh, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, UC San Diego

"UC San Diego Health is pleased to see the State invest in San Diego County Behavioral Health Services to create much-needed psychiatric services in the central region. As the closest safety-net hospital to this area, UC San Diego Health understands the urgent needs faced by individuals living with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, said Dr. Steve Koh, MPH., Psychiatrist-in-Chief, UC San Diego Health. As a long-standing County partner, we look forward to continuing our collaboration to serve our community and to develop innovative programs for those most in need. The new campus will play an important role in expanding behavioral health capacity across the region."

The Behavioral Health Wellness Campus is expected to add 210 new treatment beds and slots to serve Medi-Cal eligible San Diegans annually, including veterans, working-age adults, and justice-involved residents. The project is estimated at $210 million and is designed to create a comprehensive hub linking mental-health treatment, substance-use recovery services, crisis stabilization, and outpatient care. It will also include a peer-focused social rehabilitation program because peers play such a central role in connecting people to care.  

The proposed campus would include: 

1.     Crisis Stabilization Unit — Short-term therapeutic care for adults experiencing acute mental-health crises, helping reduce emergency-department visits and jail admissions
  

2.     Mental Health Rehabilitation Center — Long-term, 24/7 residential treatment for people living with serious mental illness
  

3.     Peer-Focused Social Rehabilitation Program — Voluntary, peer-led recovery support in a home-like setting. 

4.     Adult Residential Substance-Use Treatment Facility — Medically monitored recovery services for individuals addressing drug or alcohol dependence
 

5.     Outpatient Community Mental Health Clinic — Preventive and ongoing care, including therapy, case management, and peer support programs
  

Click here for project renderings: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12yGIgbIoBVr8tpWw9nCaVbKDJXsjp4cr?usp=sharing