A partnership between UC San Diego Health and San Diego County has been finalized, securing plans to provide the community with new behavioral health care services. 

The county Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 in favor of the partnership, which will expand essential behavioral health care services at the East Campus Medical Center to serve urgent mental health needs across San Diego County and beyond. Plans to address the behavioral health solution for the region have been in the works since 2018.

The 32 million dollar project will include adding 30 additional psychiatric inpatient beds for adult Medi-Cal patients, a psychiatric inpatient facility, and a crisis stabilization unit (CSU). 

As part of the extension of its care network, UC San Diego Health will shape the development of a centralized mental health services hub at its newest hospital location. The county will lend money from its general fund reserves, and UC San Diego Health will pay it back with interest. 

“The partnership is a tremendous achievement to assist those in our community who are suffering with severe mental health issues,” said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health.

“We are thankful for this partnership with the County of San Diego, and we are proud to be part of a regional, innovative solution that will help care for patients who have complex behavioral health needs.”

The expanded behavioral health services could be up and running as soon as 2026 if approvals and funding allocations move forward as anticipated, with UC San Diego Health continuing to operate emergency psychiatric services at both Hillcrest and La Jolla Medical Center campuses after completion of the new hub. The county will also continue to operate its emergency psychiatric services and inpatient units at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital.

The announcement of the new services has been welcomed by the broader San Diego community, amidst the rising need for more treatment options and access to professional mental health support from professionals like clinical psychiatrists to those with an online Masters in School Counseling. 

When comparing Californians with the national average, mental health issues remain prevalent. The suicide rate per 100,000 population is at 10.8% in California, while the nationwide average sits higher at 14.2%, however, the prevalence of any mental illness sits at 19.2%, above the national average of 18.1%. 

There is also a more significant treatment gap for adults with the Area Median Income (AMI) sitting at 37.8% vs the nationwide figure of 32.6%, indicating there are many residents with mental health conditions are not receiving the care they need. 

In a separate report, consumers of the County of San Diego Mental Health System of Care indicated they had a primary care physician or regular facility to go to for their physical health, however, when asked if their mental health provider communicates with their physical health provider, 16% reported they did not communicate, and 36% did not know whether their physical and mental health providers communicated. 

Results were similar when looking at communication between a mental health provider and a substance use treatment healthcare provider, with one-fifth (20%) reporting they did not communicate, and 35% did not know if their separate providers communicated. 

The expanding mental health services would help address this gap in healthcare provider communication, with the partnership also involving medical oversight and academic leadership from UC San Diego Health and the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. This will help provide academic training opportunities, deliver better patient outcomes, and continue to support important research. 

“This enhanced behavioral health services model is an emphatic response to the regional shortage of acute psychiatric beds, freeing up capacity in other medical units to handle rising emergency demands,” said Jeff Daskalakis, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and psychiatrist at UC San Diego Health.

“It will also strengthen the continuum of care for our most vulnerable community members.”

Lawson-Remer, the board vice chair who ran meetings in Chairwoman Nora Vargas’ absence, agreed, but reiterated the facility won’t just result in more beds for those in crisis, but will also provide cutting-edge treatment.

The opening of the facility also aims to reduce law enforcement involvement in cases involving individuals with mental health issues. 

In a review of 439 Officer-Involved Shootings (OIS) from 1993 – 20217 in San Diego by the  San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, it was found drugs and mental health issues were common in the subjects. 

Of the 439 cases, 291 of the subjects – or 65% – had drugs in their systems at the time of the incident – some with multiple substances – with methamphetamine/amphetamine being the most prevalent. 64 of the subjects had documented mental health issues, and 74 exhibited unstable behavior. 14% had both mental health issues and were under the influence of one or more drugs. 

Steve Koh, a psychiatry professor at UCSD, said no matter what an individual’s background is, mental health issues can affect every single person.

“What is in front of you is putting the right place, right policy (and) the right political will to improve mental health care,” Koh said.

He added that San Diego County will now be able to set an example for the rest of the nation and establish an important standard for the region and the rest of California.

The negotiations around the partnership began in May 2024 and were approved in record time, 120 days later. The county must finalize the agreement by 21 October 2024 followed by university regents approving it by 31 October 2024. The plan will also require regulatory approvals.