Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Services provides specialty behavioral health care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries across the region. This plan invests more than $1.39 billion to enhance access, treatment, and person-centered care for people of all ages. Through BHSA, BH CONNECT, and other initiatives, the County is expanding Medi-Cal benefits, improving crisis response, building the behavioral health workforce and increasing housing opportunities for people with serious mental illness and/or substance use conditions.
Investments include:
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Residential & Long-Term Care — $176 million
Provides clinical care and 24-hour support in a structured, therapeutic setting to people needing a higher level of care.
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Housing Interventions — $88 million
Provides a full continuum of housing to ensure people are sheltered while receiving treatment and support services. This includes a Flexible Housing Pool pilot as part of the new Transitional Rent benefit that will strengthen long-term housing stability.
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BH CONNECT Implementation — +$47.3 million**
Expands community-based behavioral health care through evidence-based programs that support children and adults with complex conditions.
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Substance Use Treatment for Adults — +$23 million**
Enhances the network of substance use services and supports, including narcotic treatment programs and a new chemical dependency recovery program.
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Behavioral Health Workforce Development — +$15.2 million**
Supports development and retention of a skilled public behavioral health workforce through the ELEVATE Fund and training and technical assistance for small, diverse community-based organizations.
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Community Engagement and Network Support— $14.4 million
Strengthens community engagement and support providers through technical assistance, ensuring meaningful involvement of all 29 state-identified stakeholder groups (BHSA) in shaping behavioral health work in the region.
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Behavioral Health Wellness Campus — +$12.7 million**
Supports the design and development of the new integrated campus on County-owned property that will offer a continuum of mental health and substance use treatment and supportive services. The County was awarded a $99.5 million state behavioral health grant for this project in March 2026.
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Crisis Residential Treatment — +$9.6 million**
Increases capacity within community-based crisis care settings that offer step down care along with diversion from unnecessary hospitalization.
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Behavioral Health Facilities — +$3.5 million**
Supports facility improvements to develop new Children’s Crisis Residential Care, Substance Use Recovery Treatment Services programs through State grant funds.
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Child & Youth Behavioral Health — +$2 million**
Prioritizes early intervention, outpatient, residential treatment, and crisis stabilization care to ensure children and youth have access to care.
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In-Home Outreach Teams — +$1.1 million**
Connects people with serious mental illness who haven’t engaged in services to care.
** Some adjustments shown reflect how we are aligning funding with updated strategies, staffing adjustments and operational efficiencies. These changes represent a realignment to match current program models and available funding sources. In several cases, costs have been recategorized or shifted to alternative funding streams, but underlying services remain prioritized and supported.
CONTACT
County Administration Center
1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101
