San Diego County is moving forward with plans to establish a comprehensive mental health campus, aiming to provide care for up to 20,000 people annually. The proposal, recently approved by the county board of supervisors, seeks a $100 million grant from the state’s Proposition 1 funding to develop the facility on Rosecrans Street, adjacent to the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital. The estimated total cost of the project has risen to $210 million, incorporating the value of county-owned land estimated at $27 million.
The proposed “behavioral health wellness campus” will replace a now-vacant health services complex that previously housed various public health departments. With mental health demands rising across the nation, San Diego County has struggled to meet the growing need for services. Many patients face long waits in emergency departments, as hospital beds are often at capacity. The new campus aims to shift the focus from crisis management to a more proactive approach, ensuring individuals receive ongoing support before their conditions escalate.
Comprehensive Care Approach
The campus is designed to integrate various mental health services into a single location, featuring a crisis stabilization unit, a mental health rehabilitation center, a social rehabilitation facility, and an outpatient community mental health clinic. This multifaceted approach is intended to facilitate smoother transitions for patients, allowing them to move between different levels of care as their needs change.
Karen Larsen, executive director of the Steinberg Institute, highlighted the significance of this project, noting that it aligns with state intentions for funding. “They were very clear that they will be favoring these kinds of campus models where you have sort of a one-stop shop for people with both mental health and substance use disorders,” she stated. Currently, there are only two similar facilities in California, located in Riverside and Orange County.
The campus will also implement a range of care options to address varying levels of mental health challenges, from moderate anxiety to severe conditions such as suicidal ideation. Crisis centers will serve as an initial point of contact for individuals in distress, providing comfortable environments where trained clinicians can assess their needs.
Funding Competition and Future Plans
The county board’s decision to pursue this project reflects a commitment to long-term mental health reform. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, a strong advocate for the initiative, emphasized the need for integrated care. “The kind of framework where you get substance abuse treatment in one location and mental health treatment somewhere else, we know, makes no sense, because these are so often co-occurring conditions,” she explained.
San Diego County will face stiff competition for the grant funding, which is part of a larger allocation of $800 million designated for unmet needs from the $4.4 billion statewide behavioral health infrastructure bond approved by voters in March 2024. While the requested $100 million will not fully fund the campus, it would kickstart a broader financing strategy involving private partners to secure additional resources.
Should the county not receive the grant, the future of the campus remains uncertain. Lawson-Remer indicated that plans would still be pursued, though alternate strategies have yet to be defined.
In related developments, Palomar Health in North County is also seeking funding from the second round of Proposition 1, applying for a $50 million grant to build a 120-bed behavioral health specialty hospital on its Escondido campus. The previous round of funding was rescinded due to Palomar’s inability to meet the required matching funds.
The proposed mental health campus in San Diego represents a crucial step towards reforming mental health care and providing integrated services that can respond effectively to the increasing demands of the community.
