The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has advanced a measure to establish a stand-alone behavioral health department that backers say will increase treatment capacity and better coordinate care.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has advanced a measure to establish a stand-alone behavioral health department that backers say will result in increased treatment capacity and better coordinated care.
Supervisors voted unanimously on consent during their Tuesday meeting to move the proposed ordinance forward, as part of a first reading. The ordinance technically would replace an existing administrative code. According to a release from Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe, the department will also support workforce development, along with stronger data systems and accountability.The ordinance will be up for formal approval on April 21. Should supervisors approve it, the new department would take effect July 1, with the switch happening in phases. "This proposal reflects years of rapid growth in behavioral health programs and the urgent need to build a system capable of meeting rising demand for mental health and substance use treatment," according to Lawson-Remer and Montgomery Steppe. Behavioral Health Services falls under the Health and Human Services Agency, a structure"that was created nearly three decades ago, before major expansions in Medi-Cal coverage, behavioral health funding and treatment demand," they added. Over the past five years, the county has spent hundreds of millions on dollars on behavioral health care, opened crisis stabilization centers, expanded the number of mobile crisis response teams and hired more staff.New at Petco Park: Retro speakeasy, new video boards, new and local food favoritesKPBS keeps you informed with local stories you need to know about — with no paywall. Our news is free for everyone because people like you help fund it.
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