What they are saying: Overwhelming support for Governor Newsom’s historic expansion of California’s behavioral health capacity and treatment
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom last week announced $1.18 billion in Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) awards, funding an additional 66 projects across 130 behavioral health facilities, including in rural and tribal communities, and creating even more residential and crisis treatment centers statewide.
Through Bond BHCIP (Proposition 1) facility awards, local communities are expected to gain a combined total of 6,919 residential treatment beds and 27,561 outpatient slots — exceeding Proposition 1 statewide goals in just two years and supporting 177 projects across 333 facilities. This announcement follows California’s recent announcement of the first statewide drop in unsheltered homelessness in 15 years — a 9% decrease.
Elected leaders, partners, awardees, and stakeholders are issuing strong support of the expansion and investment into local communities:
Counties
Los Angeles County Board Chair Hilda L. Solis: “For years, Los Angeles County has been in the midst of mental health and substance use crises, and I supported Proposition 1 to bring the needed resources to tackle these challenges head on. Thanks to Governor Newsom’s historic investment in behavioral health infrastructure, we are moving closer to providing all Los Angeles County residents the critical services they need. This funding will help expand the County’s capacity to treat individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, many of which are experiencing homelessness, with the dignity they deserve.”
San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer: “This funding is a game-changer. It means San Diego County can build a mental-health system in one location that prevents crises instead of just reacting to them. Our residents will no longer be forced to navigate a maze of disconnected programs in their worst moments. This is a major step forward in delivering the mental-health system our community needs — massively expanding treatment capacity with more beds, more crisis care, and more pathways to recovery so families can get help earlier and our community can be safer and healthier.”
Orange County Board Chair Doug Chaffee: “Orange County appreciates the $17.3 million to Proposition 1 investments to strengthen our behavioral health system and expand care for residents with the greatest needs. The Generations project, in partnership with UC Irvine, will add 61 sub-acute and longer-term treatment beds for patients who require a higher level of care, including individuals under conservatorship. In addition, KC Services will expand access to substance use disorder treatment, primary care, and office-based opioid treatment. These projects will help ensure Orange County residents have greater access to appropriate treatment, and the County will continue working closely with our partners to move these projects forward as quickly as possible.”
Ventura County Board Chair Jeff Gorell: “Proposition 1 is delivering the treatment and recovery resources communities like Ventura County urgently need. Investments in programs like Nate’s Place expand access to mental health and substance use care and strengthen the local systems that help people in need stabilize, recover, and rebuild their lives.”
San Joaquin County Board Chair Sonny Dhaliwal: “This project is about finally building the behavioral health system our community has needed for decades. The SJ BeWell Campus will expand treatment, bring services together in one place, and address the root causes of homelessness, including mental health and substance abuse. With strong partnership from the State, this is a generational investment that will give people a real path to recovery and change the future for families across San Joaquin County and the Central Valley.”
Monterey County Board Chair Wendy Root Askew: “This project represents HOPE for my neighbors at a time when they need support most. Recovery happens in community, and these BHCIP investments are building critical spaces for recovery to thrive.”
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento: “Securing this funding is a major step forward for Orange County as we continue expanding access to mental-health and substance-use treatment. With $17.3 million supporting two critical projects, Orange County will add approximately 440 treatment beds, which significantly increases our ability to provide timely care for residents who need it most. By expanding capacity and improving coordination across services, we are building a more responsive behavioral-health system that promotes recovery and supports healthier, safer communities across Orange County.”
Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez: “Congratulations to the Tribal and Community-Based Organizations awarded BHCIP Round 2 funding in Fresno County and thank you to Governor Newsom for prioritizing investments in behavioral health infrastructure across our state. Each of these projects is focused on serving unique populations and will help address the significant behavioral health needs we see throughout the Central Valley. These investments are critical to closing long-standing gaps in care and ensuring that our most vulnerable residents, including those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, have access to compassionate and culturally responsive services. By strengthening our local continuum of care, we are helping individuals and families get the support they need closer to home.”
San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr.: “Expanding access to substance-use treatment is critical to addressing the behavioral health challenges facing our communities. This $6 million investment in the City of Colton will help add much-needed treatment beds and ensure more residents have access to the care and support they need to recover and rebuild their lives. I appreciate Governor Newsom’s continued commitment to strengthening California’s behavioral health system and investing in solutions that promote healthier and safer communities across San Bernardino County.”
Tuolumne County Supervisor Jaron Brandon: “Drug and mental illness treatment without safe refuge means fewer successful recoveries, and particularly rural areas struggle with bedspace. This $9.5 million for peer respite housing supports those trying to get better in the safe place they need and in this case, breathes life back into a formerly closed public facility. It is a win for California, for clients, and for Tuolumne County.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Monica Martinez: “This historic investment marks a groundbreaking step in enhancing behavioral health services in Santa Cruz County. By expanding withdrawal management, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment, we are ensuring that individuals receive the right level of care early on — before a crisis escalates to an emergency room visit or a law enforcement response. Together, we are reducing stigma and providing rapid access to care while creating clearer pathways to recovery. Thanks to Governor Newsom’s leadership, this collaborative effort will stabilize lives, support families, and contribute to safer and healthier communities.”
Solano County Supervisor Monica Brown: “I am looking forward to receiving the money to build the most needed facilities for our young people as well as our other families who need a place to house their loved ones who need the help to get better. My feet are off the ground. After years of working to get the funds to build safe places to help our constituents, I am so happy that we will have places to provide the healing that is needed to treat everyone with respect and dignity.”
Toni Navarro, Director of the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness: “This potential investment represents a significant opportunity to expand community-based treatment options for people living with serious mental illness. Social Rehabilitation Facilities play a critical role in helping individuals transition from higher levels of care into stable community living, while reducing the need for hospitalization or incarceration.”
Cities
Mayor Daniel Lurie, City of San Francisco: “We know that we have challenges on our streets, but we are getting results in San Francisco—and we will keep going. We are building a system that meets people where they are and gives them a real path toward recovery and stability, and together, these investments strengthen our city’s ability to respond with compassion and accountability. Thank you to Governor Newsom for your support. This funding is critical to San Francisco’s recovery, and we deeply appreciate the state’s partnership.”
Mayor Todd Gloria, City of San Diego: “There are too many people on our streets who are not just unsheltered, they are untreated. That reality is visible in communities across San Diego and California, and it underscores why expanding behavioral health infrastructure is so urgently needed. These investments will help create the facilities and care people in crisis desperately need. I thank the Governor for stepping up with this funding, and I wholeheartedly agree with him when it comes to addressing mental illness and addiction: it’s time for no more excuses.”
Mayor Jerry Dyer, City of Fresno: “I am grateful Governor Newsom has accelerated the delivery of Proposition 1 funds to two nonprofit Foundations in Fresno. These funds will go a long way to help those with mental health and substance abuse disorders. And as we all know, these are the folks who end up unhoused on the streets of Fresno. Having an additional 54 residential beds and 216 outpatient beds is a game changer in our fight against homelessness.”
Mayor Karen Goh, City of Bakersfield: “California’s mental health and substance use crisis calls for a comprehensive strategy that includes residential behavioral health beds. Round 2, BHCIP funding accelerates the development of essential recovery and treatment facilities in Bakersfield. It expands support for people facing mental health and substance use challenges and builds on the $22.8M awarded to the City of Bakersfield in Round 1 for 65 beds. The additional beds make a meaningful difference for families in Bakersfield and throughout Kern County. I am grateful to the State for supporting and recognizing the urgency of advancing these critical projects.”
Mayor Adena Ishii, City of Berkeley: “I want to thank the Governor’s office for supporting Berkeley’s bold vision with a $6.9 million award to create a Behavioral Health clinical anchor. By pairing housing with a high-intensity outpatient hub, we can help people leave encampments and stabilize their lives, and ensure historically underserved communities have access to the care and support they deserve.”
Mayor Jessica Ancona, City of El Monte: “This investment in the Foothill Family Service El Monte site is an important step toward expanding access to mental and behavioral health care in our community. Far too many families struggle to find the support they need, and projects like this help ensure services are available close to home. I want to thank Governor Newsom and the State of California for recognizing the need in communities like El Monte and for investing in programs that strengthen the health and well-being of our residents.”
Mayor Tim Sandoval, City of Pomona: “Health Right 360 Pomona provides life-saving services to the city and region. This award of Prop. 1 funds will allow the organization to continue to provide critical and essential health services to the community. Thank you to the voters of California for passing this measure that will help move people off the streets and into treatment.”
Mayor Vong Mouanotoua, City of Clovis: “The City of Clovis congratulates Sierra Tribal Consortium for being awarded this important grant and is eager to welcome them to our community. This financial support from the state will help Sierra Tribal Consortium serve members of our community who would otherwise need to leave the area for treatment. Keeping loved ones close to home, while providing them with the services they require, is a win-win for the community and our residents.”
Recipients
Genevieve Valentine, San Joaquin County Health Care Services Director, Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($38.2 million): “This Bond BHCIP funding award strengthens one of our region’s most transformative behavioral health initiatives. By expanding our continuum of care, we can provide coordinated, compassionate services that support recovery and improve lives across the Central Valley. The addition of a social rehabilitation facility will strengthen cross county partnerships, creating a six-county regional model that will ensure Medi-Cal members and underserved residents will receive needed services without delays or fragmented referrals.”
Doug Bond, President and CEO, Epidaurus (dba Amity Foundation), Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($24.2 million): “For too long, our communities have seen substance use disorder, homelessness, and the revolving jail house and prison doors eat away at the fabric of our society. This is how we fight back. This campus will not only be a bridge of changing lives, but will be a model for smart public health and public safety here in California and to the rest of the United States. We’re not just a facility with a hundred beds with a host of services, but a community that is safer, healthier, and believes people deserved a second chance at making things right.”
Brandon Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, CRI-Help, Inc., Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($41.3 million): “This funding award for CRI-Help’s Lincoln Heights Recovery Campus Expansion project for Women with Children addresses a critical community need identified by our frontline staff. Our clinicians have consistently conveyed the ongoing struggle to locate residential substance use disorder treatment beds for mothers with children. Thanks to our Bond BHCIP Round 2: Unmet Needs funding award, we are eliminating a longstanding barrier to accessing care and are prioritizing family unification, ensuring mothers stay close to their children during their recovery process. “
Lorna Little, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Anne’s Family Services, Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($20 million): “The significant BHCIP funding is critical to fueling our mission at St. Anne’s Family Services. It allows us to show up fully for the individuals and families who walk through our doors — not only meeting immediate needs, but walking alongside them toward lasting stability. The Brighter Futures Center will expand access to healing and recovery for individuals and families across Los Angeles. We are deeply grateful to partner with the State of California and remain committed to turning this investment into meaningful, measurable change.”
Matthew Brown, Chief Information Officer, Psynergy Programs, Inc., Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($20.7 million): “We are deeply honored and profoundly grateful for this recognition and generous support. This award represents a tremendous vote of confidence in our organization’s mission and our longstanding commitment to delivering high-quality behavioral health services across California. We are sincerely excited about the opportunity to further expand this vital and much-needed program, building additional capacity to serve individuals and families facing mental health challenges. We look forward to advancing this work with the same unwavering standard of excellence that has guided our efforts for more than 20 years—ensuring compassionate, evidence-based, and equitable care that prioritizes community integration, health equity, and the needs of vulnerable populations. Thank you once again for this extraordinary opportunity to partner in strengthening California’s behavioral health continuum. We are eager to collaborate closely with DHCS and contribute meaningfully to closing gaps in care statewide.”
Helena Lopez, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Hope Foundation for Children, Inc (dba: A Greater Hope), Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($2.86 million): This award is especially meaningful to us because it supports our work in Barstow, a community that is often overlooked when conversations about behavioral health infrastructure take place. Yet the need there is real, and the families we serve deserve the same access to care and support as any other community in California. For many years, our Barstow team has quietly shown up for children and families who needed someone to walk alongside them. This investment helps ensure that those families are not forgotten and that the services available to them continue to grow and strengthen. We are deeply grateful that DHCS recognizes the importance of expanding behavioral health resources into communities like Barstow. It is an honor to partner in this effort to close gaps in care and build stronger systems of support for children and families.”
Brandy Gray, Founder and Executive Director, Global Women Foundation and Band of Brothers, Bond BHCIP Round 2 ($8.1 million): “California is leading the way by investing in peer respite solutions that help veterans move from the street to stability. This BHCIP funding will create California’s first veteran-specific peer respite center, expanding our services and scaling our two-week peer respite stabilization model where veterans can stabilize, reconnect with housing and services, and rebuild their lives alongside peers who understand their journey.”