SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER CARE CAPACITY EXPANDS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

SACRAMENTO — On February 7, 2025, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and CRI-Help announced the grand opening of the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Crisis Management Hub: A Fully Integrated Behavioral Health Campus project in Los Angeles County. The site includes an adult residential SUD treatment facility, an intensive outpatient treatment SUD facility, and a sobering center. These combined facilities are projected to serve more than 2,500 individuals annually.

The SUD Crisis Management Hub project was funded by Round 5 of DHCS' Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP). DHCS awarded CRI-Help more than $21 million through BHCIP, which is part of California's ongoing commitment to expand behavioral health services for all Californians. With the passage of Propos​ition 1, even more behavioral health treatment facilities will be funded and built in 2025 and 2026.

“Facilities like these that are part of the SUD Crisis Management Hub treat not only the crises, but also the core concerns of people seeking help with their SUDs, so they can pursue continuous recovery," said DHCS Director Michelle Baass. “DHCS is pleased to partner with CRI-Help to make this facility a reality and to bring high-quality behavioral health care to this community."
 
CRI-HELP: CRI-Help's SUD Crisis Management Hub project immediately increases the availability of outpatient and residential crisis services for low-income adults in the downtown and east Los Angeles areas. This project includes three programs:

• A new adult residential SUD treatment facility with incidental medical services that includes 78 beds for males.
• An intensive outpatient treatment facility for SUDs with 43 slots.
• A sobering center with 8 slots.

 
Together, these facilities will provide screenings, group counseling, patient education, family therapy group sessions, motivational interviewing, recovery efforts, and warm handoffs to other levels of care.
 
"With the addition of a sobering center funded by BHCIP that provides comprehensive recovery services, we are redefining what accessible, compassionate care looks like in the Los Angeles area," said CRI-Help President and CEO Brandon Fernandez. “This campus stands as a beacon of innovation and inclusivity for people seeking a second chance in life."

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Through BHCIP, DHCS awards eligible entities funding to construct, acquire, and expand properties and invest in mobile crisis infrastructure to further expand the range of community-based behavioral health treatment options for people with co-occurring mental health treatment needs and SUDs. BHCIP is addressing historic gaps in the behavioral health care system to meet the growing demand for services and supports throughout the lifespan of people in need.

DHCS has awarded $1.7 billion in BHCIP competitive grants. In addition, DHCS will distribute up to $4.4 billion in competitive Bond BHCIP funding, including $3.3 billion for Round 1: Launch Ready grants as part of Behavioral Health Transformation, DHCS' work to implement Proposition 1. DHCS holds regular public listening sessions on this effort. Updates and recordings of the sessions are available on the Behavioral Health Transformation webpage.
 
ABOUT BHCIP ROUND 5: CRISIS AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTINUUM: BHCIP Round 5 was developed, in part, through a statewide needs assessment that identified significant gaps in available crisis services. This assessment showed the need for a better crisis care system to reduce emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and incarceration. The 33 awards, totaling $430 million, are being used to build and expand crisis care and behavioral health facilities statewide and will serve vulnerable Californians of all ages, including Medi-Cal members.​