DATE:
March 4, 2025
01
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE BOARD CONFERENCE AND RETURN TO THE BOARD WITH UPDATES IN AUGUST 2025 (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Behavioral healthcare available to County residents with severe mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD) has become an issue of regional significance, and it is imperative that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) takes steps to explore the problem in greater depth, along with generating potential solutions.
The Board and the County of San Diego (County) have taken the lead in addressing the region's behavioral healthcare crisis and spearheaded a profound transformation to move the local behavioral health care delivery system from a model of care driven by crises to one centered on continuous, coordinated care and prevention. These efforts, broadly referred to as the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care (Continuum of Care), are guided by data, focused on equity, and designed to engender collaborative work across silos, within and outside of government.
The Board has made historic investments in behavioral health services, expanding access to treatment, crisis response, and long-term recovery programs to meet growing regional needs. Board Conference will provide an update on the progress made, remaining challenges, and future opportunities to further transform the behavioral health system in San Diego County. County leaders will discuss how investments in crisis stabilization units, mobile crisis response teams, and treatment expansion are helping shift the region away from a fragmented, crisis-driven model toward a more effective and coordinated system of care. This discussion will also highlight how continued expansion of services and integration with housing, healthcare, and public safety systems will be critical in ensuring that individuals can access the care they need before reaching crisis.
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