Behavioral Health

Providence Gifts Crucial Dollars to Behavioral Health Triage Project in Arcata

Who Providence St. Joseph Hospital   Mad River Community Hospital  California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt  Humboldt County Behavioral Health   Health care partners across Humboldt County  What Hospital and health care leaders recently gathered to celebrate a landmark $2 million donation from Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka to support the development of a new behavioral health […]

Solano County Establishes SB 43 Implementation Workgroup

Who Solano County hospitals  Solano County Behavioral Health, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Public Guardian  Partnership Health Plan  Community stakeholders representing law enforcement, courts, mobile crisis services, and behavioral health programs What Senate Bill (SB) 43, which was signed into law in 2023, expands the definition of “gravely disabled” for the involuntary detention, treatment, or […]

San Francisco to Open New Police-Friendly Stabilization Center

Who San Francisco Mayor’s Office  San Francisco Department of Public Health,   San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing What In April, San Francisco will open a 24/7 police-friendly stabilization center at 822 Geary Street, where police officers can drop off people with urgent mental health and substance abuse needs so they can receive medical […]

SB 43 Work Progresses in San Mateo, Santa Clara Counties

Who Leaders in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties  San Mateo Medical Center and San Mateo Mobile Crisis Unit What Santa Clara County (SCC) has kicked off a workgroup to implement Senate Bill (SB) 43 (2023), which expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). In late March, the […]

Sonoma County Crisis Stabilization Unit Reopens

Who Hospital and county leaders in Sonoma County What After being closed for six months, Sonoma County’s crisis stabilization unit (CSU) reopened for patient care on Feb. 8. Following the CSU’s August 2024 closure, hospital and county leaders engaged in a series of conversations about the closure’s immediate and long-term impacts. In the short term, hospitals stepped […]

Eureka Police Department Leads the Way in Decriminalizing Mental Illness

Who Commander Leonard LaFrance and the Eureka Police Department What Through innovative de-escalation techniques and structural changes in its approach to crisis intervention, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) is transforming how law enforcement handles mental illness and substance abuse crises, effectively reducing 5150 (involuntary psychiatric) holds by 68% since 2018 and diverting nearly 93% of […]

San Francisco Eyes Potential Expansion of Behavioral Health Beds

Who UCSF Health   San Francisco Department of Public Health What The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to approve a resolution authorizing the San Francisco Department of Public Health to submit applications for grant funds to the state’s Department of Health Care Services under the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Round 1: Launch Ready.   […]

CEOs and Other Hospital Leaders in Redwood Coast Meet

Who Redwood Coast section CEOs and hospital leaders  Humboldt County behavioral health leadership What On Nov. 6, the Redwood Coast section convened to discuss several key topics:  CHA’s 2024 Policy Summary: An overview of the California Hospital Association’s (CHA) policy initiatives for the upcoming year  Hospitals’ Challenges and Goals for 2025: A discussion on the […]

Sacramento County Adopts Jan. 1, 2025, as SB 43 Implementation Date

Who Health care facilities and partners in and around Sacramento County What When Senate Bill (SB) 43 was signed on Oct. 10, 2023, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, along with all but two counties in the state, chose to postpone the Jan. 1, 2024, implementation date — this way, the counties could assess their […]

Behavioral Health Drives Meetings, Prompts Innovations in Northern Sierra

Who Health care facilities and partners across the Northern Sierra What Hospital Council has hosted many meetings with various hospitals, counties, and health plans — all of which are searching for ways to address the challenges they face in trying to help those who need behavioral health services.   Hospitals trying to get their behavioral health […]