CalOptima Gives $11.4 Million for first County-operated mental health facility

Anita Street: Public-Private Partnership Addressing Mental Health Access

Orange, CA (December 6, 2018) – At the urging of Supervisor Andrew Do, Orange County’s Medi-Cal Health Plan, CalOptima, allocated $11.4 million to the County’s first county-operated mental health facility in Orange.

In March 2018, the County of Orange purchased the property at 265 Anita Street for $7.8 Million to create a wellness facility focused on access to mental, behavioral health, and substance abuse services.

This project will be funded by a public-private partnership between the County of Orange, Be Well OC, and CalOptima to provide much needed services in a centralized location available to all Orange County residents based on clinical need.

“I’m proud to see CalOptima supporting the development of comprehensive mental health system of care that is accessible to all of our residents,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and CalOptima Board Member. “CalOptima’s funding ensures that Orange County will be able to address the growing mental health needs in our County.”

The $11.4 million dedicated to the project by CalOptima will allow individuals to get help in one place – accessing emergency mental health crisis stabilization, drug abuse treatment, and long-term residential psychiatric care. Specific programs may include:

• Crisis Stabilization Unit
• Crisis Recovery Beds
• Outpatient Triage Center
• Residential Psychiatric Treatment

The facility, scheduled to open within 15 months, will provide individuals with one point of access to a range of other services covering job placement, housing, health care and public services. It will also alleviate the burden placed on Orange County emergency rooms, which accept patients experiencing psychiatric episodes.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse: Root Causes of Homelessness

Mental health services and substance abuse treatment are directly linked to homelessness. According to the Orange County Rescue Mission, “58 percent of the people who sought services from the mission in 2016 and 2017 self-identify as having a chemical dependency. And 33 percent stated that they have a mental illness.”

“This new facility addresses the root causes of homelessness,” Supervisor Do said. “Orange County is building on its progress on homelessness with a long-term investment in mental health and substance abuse treatment to help people get off the streets and take control of their lives.”

With the funding of the Anita Street mental health facility, Orange County will be meeting more of these critical needs than ever before. For more information, visit the CalOptima meeting information page.