Behavioral Health

Almost all of us are affected by behavioral health struggles, personally or through someone we know. From depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicide to substance-use-disorders that can involve fentanyl and opioids, we are all affected. The County continues to work hard to help people and make sure our programs are based on access, prevention and connection to continuous care.

In July 2023, our Board of Supervisors approved using $44.3 million in state bridge housing funds to provide more housing for county residents who have serious behavioral health conditions and who were experiencing homelessness. The funding is specifically going to help create more beds within licensed board-and-care facilities which can be home-like settings or larger facilities for people who need some specialized care, but not in a hospital or clinical setting.

In fall of 2023, San Diego became one of the first counties in the state to participate in CARE Act partnerships with the courts and Public Defender. The effort to help severely impaired people living with untreated schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders has since become a leader in the state with more than 50 people voluntarily enrolled in the program.

The Board also approved nearly $4.5 million to expand its Mobile Crisis Response Team program, including a pilot team to respond to schools. Mobile Crisis Response Teams send behavioral health experts rather than law enforcement when appropriate in non-violent situations to respond to people experiencing a behavioral health crisis. 

This year, the County reached a milestone in a  drug disposal program designed to help people—children in particular—from accidentally overdosing on opioids that are prescribed to people who undergo surgical or dental procedures. The program gives pharmacies, doctors and dentists special “drug-deactivating” pouches to give to patients. People can put their left-over opioids in the pouch, add water and the drugs are rendered harmless. The County gave out more than 1,200 pouches in just May and June.

The County also broke ground in July on its seventh Crisis Stabilization Unit. When it opens next year in El Cajon, it will mean the County has CSUs available in all five supervisorial districts. CSUs are designed to give many people who are in the midst of a behavioral health crisis a calm and better place to become stable and recover than emergency rooms and hospitals.