The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution at their meeting on Nov. 12 to authorize Behavior Health Services (BHS) to apply for a $137,500,000 grant to help build a behavioral services campus in San Joaquin County.
Genevieve G. Valentine, the San Joaquin County Behavioral Services Director, and Greg Diederich, the former Director of the Health Care Services Agency, presented the project to the council, highlighting its benefits and importance to the community.
At the end of BHS’s presentation, a few of the supervisors commented on their excitement for the project.
District 5 Supervisor Robert Rickman said, “We’re excited and thank you guys for your work.” Echoing that sentiment, District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti praised the project, saying, “Great job on all of this, we’re excited about it.”
The SJ Be Well Campus is “a proposed comprehensive behavioral and physical health care facility designed to provide person centered treatment and support in a safe, secure, and therapeutic environment,” according to a letter that BHS wrote to the Board of Supervisors. The campus will have a total of four buildings with a total of 178 beds.
According to BHS’s presentation, one building will be used for community and outpatient services. Another will be used for urgent care services, and the final two buildings will be used for residential treatment.
The presentation also stated that they have seven goals for the SJ Be Well Campus including providing behavioral health care in the right setting, improving access and outcomes and lowering costs in San Joaquin County among others.
The campus is estimated to cost around $200,000,000 according to BHS’s letter. Valentine said at the meeting that they hope to have all four buildings constructed and operational by the end of 2027.
Diedrich and Valentine’s presentation explained why there is a “significant need for a comprehensive campus that focuses on behavioral health, especially substance abuse and co-occurring care.”
They explained that a 2022 Rand study on psychiatric and substance use disorder bed capacity, need and shortage estimates in California found that San Joaquin County had a large deficit in these categories. This is what inspired Diedrich to look into how San Joaquin County could fill these deficits.
They also highlighted in their presentation how there are no substance use disorder Medi-Cal residential facilities for minors in Northern California. Also, a significant percentage of mental health visit no shows are derived from South Stockton, French Camp, Lathrop and Manteca communities.
Diedrich also highlighted how right now they have the perfect opportunity to pursue this project.
In March 2024, California voters passed Proposition 1, which authorized the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to make additional grant funding available to eligible entities for the purpose of constructing and investing in infrastructure related to behavioral health, according to BHS’s bond application.
This is the grant that BHS is applying for, asking for $137,500,000 to help fund the SJ Be Well Campus.
Also, last year the Board of Supervisors approved the San Joaquin County Opioid Settlements Strategic Abatement Plan according to BHS’s letter to the board. In the plan, one of the highest rated use for the settlement money was matching funds for a “substance use disorder facilities with an approved project” with the specific program that is offering the grant funding that BHS is applying for.
With this grant passing and the opioid settlement money matching, Diedrich said in their presentation to the board that this is a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
According to BHS’s letter to the board, they said they currently have around $40,000,000 of the $200,000,000 they need for the project, and they have identified a large amount of funding from local funding sources if needed. With an award of $137,000,000, BHS will have enough funding to complete the first phase of the Be Well Campus.
With the Board of Supervisors’ approval, Valentine said they could immediately send in their application for the grant before the Dec. 13 deadline. They expect to hear back about the grant around May of next year.