CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
December 2, 2024
TO: City Council
FROM: Office of the City Manager
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE
VENTURA COUNTY DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
EXPRESSING THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY’S SUPPORT FOR THE EAST
COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY IN SIMI VALLEY AS PART OF THE COUNTY’S GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR ROUND 1: LAUNCH
READY FUNDS THROUGH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTINUUM
INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM FROM THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES; AND AUTHORIZE THE
MAYOR TO SIGN A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE VENTURA COUNTY
DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPRESSING THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY’S SUPPORT FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION
CENTER IN CAMARILLO AS PART OF THE COUNTY’S GRANT
APPLICATIONS FOR ROUND 1: LAUNCH READY FUNDS THROUGH
THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTINUUM INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE
SERVICES
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for the East County Psychiatric Health Facility in Simi Valley as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1: Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services (Attachment A, page 6).
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1: Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services (Attachment B, page 7).
AGENDA ITEM NO.
Consent (4)
2 BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
On October 29, 2024, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to participate in the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1:
2024 Launch Ready Grant program. Administered by the California Department of Health Care Services, this grant will help fund the development of the East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) in Simi Valley and the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) in Camarillo (Attachment C, page 8; and Attachment E, page 16).
On November 13, 2024, Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) and the Ventura County Executive Office met with City staff to share updates on the Board of Supervisors' recent approval. To secure BHCIP Round 1 grant funding, the County and VCBH have requested letters of support from the Simi Valley City Council for the proposed PHF and MHRC project applications. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the attac hed letters to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for both the East County Psychiatric Health Facility in Simi Valley and Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo.
Supporting the County’s grant application will not financially impact the City of Simi Valley.
East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF)
PHFs provide 24- hour inpatient care for adults (18 and older) experiencing acute psychiatric crises that require a higher level of care than outpatient or community -based services. Patients typically stay for less than three weeks, as PHFs are designed to stabilize individuals with urgent behavioral health needs.
A vacant parcel with a parking lot adjacent to a County-owned Ventura County Behavioral Health facility at 3150 East Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley has been identified as the proposed site for the East County PHF. This facility will provide inpatient tr eatment for individuals whose needs cannot be met at a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU). The PHF will feature a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, behavioral health therapists, and nurses to deliver comprehensive care. The estimated project budget is $35 million. (Attachment D, page 13; and Attachment E, page 16).
Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC)
The County’s 54- acre Lewis Road campus provides housing and wellness services, including behavioral health treatment and adult residential facilities. As part of the Lewis Road Vision Plan, plans are underway to renovate the former RAIN homeless shelter into a 38-bed locked MHRC, with additional infrastructure improvements and the potential for more MHRC beds. The MHRC will offer intensive psychiatric care for adults with serious behavioral illnesses transitioning from in- patient hospital care. With over 85 County community members currently placed in out-of-County facilities, this project will help bring treatment closer to home. The estimated total campus budget is $180 million. (Attachment E, page 16; and Attachment D, page 13).
3 FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES
Ventura County faces a critical shortage with only 43 in -patient behavioral health beds and no PHFs, forcing many community members to seek treatment up to 200 miles away.
This shortage creates hardships for families and caregivers while straining local resources. The lack of in- County beds also impacts public safety, as law enforcement, including the Simi Valley Police Department, must allocate significant time and resources to behavioral health crises, limiting their ability to address other community needs.
Expanding local behavioral health services is essential to addressing these critical gaps.
Establishing a PHF and MHRC in the County will provide critical behavioral health services closer to home, reducing reliance on out -of-county placements and decreasing local and state costs. These facilities will offer secure, rehabilitative environments as alternatives to incarceration, homelessness, and institutionalization for individuals with serious behavioral health conditions. Localized c are will also strengthen family connections, community support systems, and patients' reintegration into their communities while promoting equity in behavioral health services for underserved and diverse populations.
The proposed MHRC at the Lewis Road campus and the PHF at 3150 East Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley are strategically positioned to address critical service gaps in East County. The PHF will also replace the services lost with the closure of a similar facility at Simi Adventist Hospit al, offering integrated care that reduces costs and limits the need for out-of-county hospitalizations.
It is recommended that the City of Simi Valley supports these initiatives, recognizing their vital role in enhancing public safety, reducing the burden on law enforcement, and ensuring equitable and timely access to essential behavioral health services for all community members.
The following alternatives are available to the City Council:
1. Authorize the Mayor to sign the letter of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for the East County Psychiatric Health Facility in Simi Valley as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1: Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services.
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign the letter of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1: Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services.
4 3. Do not authorize the Mayor to sign the attached letter(s);
4. Provide staff with alternative direction.
Staff recommends Alternative Nos. 1 and 2.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
I move that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign two letters of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for both the East County Psychiatric Health Facility in Simi Valley and Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1:
Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services.
SUMMARY
On October 29, 2024, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to participate in the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1:
2024 Launch Ready Grant program. Administered by the California Department of Health Care Services, this grant will help fund the development of the East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) in Simi Valley and the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) in Camarillo (Attachment C and Attachment E).
On November 13, 2024, Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) and the Ventura County Executive Office met with City staff to share updates on the Board of Supervisors' recent approval. To secure BHCIP Round 1 grant funding, the County and VCBH have requested letters of support from the Simi Valley City Council for the proposed PHF and MHRC project applications. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the attached letters to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for both the East County Psychiatric Health Facility in Simi Valley and Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo.
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign two letters of support to the Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health expressing the City of Simi Valley’s support for both the East County Psychiatric Health Facility and Mental Healt h Rehabilitation Center in Camarillo as part of the County’s grant applications for Round 1:
Launch Ready funds through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program from the California Department of Health Care Services. (Attachment A and B).
____________________________________
Samantha Argabrite
City Manager
5 Prepared by: Heather Sumagaysay, Deputy City Manager
INDEX Page
Attachment A_PHF Letter of Support ............................................... 6 Attachment B_MHRC Letter of Support .......................................... 7 Attachment C_County Board Letter ................................................. 8 Attachment D_CSU-PHF FAQ ...................................................... 13 Attachment E_MHRC FAQ ............................................................. 16
Dr. Loretta Denering
Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health
1911 Williams Drive
Oxnard, CA 93036
Re:
Application for East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) Funding Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure (BHCIP) Round 1: Launch Ready
Dear
Dr. Denering,
On behalf of the City of Simi Valley, I am pleased to write a letter of support for the building of a new Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) facility in Ventura County.
For
many years, there has been a significant unmet need for additional in- patient behavioral health services for Ventura County residents. Currently, the County has only 43 in- patient beds and no PHFs, leaving our Medi -Cal population without sufficient access to critical behavioral health care. This shortage often forces residents to seek treatment hundreds of miles away, placing an undue burden on families, friends, and providers who are already navigating limited resources.
Additionally, the lack of in-county beds impacts public safety, as law enforcement, including the Simi Valley Police Department, must dedicate substantial time and resources to situations involving behavioral health crises, which strains resources needed to address other community needs.
Addi
ng treatment beds within Ventura County would significantly improve access to care, strengthening patients' connections to family, local support networks, and their home communities. Localized treatment will also enhance patient outcomes and streamline reintegration into daily life. A PHF in East County, where this level of care is currently unavailable, would address a critical service gap and provide a much-needed resource for vulnerable populations.
The C
ity of Simi Valley supports the development of a PHF in Eastern Ventura County, recognizes its importance in addressing critical community needs, and would welcome it in our community.
Si
ncerely,
Fr
ed D. Thomas
Mayor
ATTACHMENT A
6 Dr. Loretta Denering
Ventura County Director of Behavioral Health
1911 Williams Drive
Oxnard, CA 93036
Re: A
pplication for Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) Funding Behavioral Health Co ntinuum Infrastructure (BHCIP) Round 1:
Launch Ready
Dear
Dr. Denering,
The City of Simi Valley fully supports Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) in its application for Round 1: Launch Ready funding through the California Department of Health Care Services' Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP). This funding will allow the County to establish a Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) in Camarillo.
The addi
tion of MHRC beds in Ventura County would provide the fo llowing benefits:
• The new MHRC will provide bed space for Ventura County patients to be rehabilitated in Ventura County, rather than being transferred to other areas out of the County, some often 200 miles away.
• It will leverage County and Medi-Cal investments to support ongoing sustainability and decrease local and state costs by reducing reliance on out-of-County facilities. • It will address the needs of vulnerable clients with the greatest barriers to access, ensuring they receive suitable care within their community. • It will provide alternatives to incarceration, hospitalization, homelessness, and institutionalization by diverting individuals with serious mental illness to a facility offering appropriate levels of care.
• Patients will receive more timely access to treatment. The current wait time to secure a patient bed providing this level of service is many months and, in some instances, more than a year.
• Patients will better connect to their families and local support bases and improve their ability to reintegrate safely into their home communities. • Additional MHRC beds in Ventura County will help advance equity for behavioral health and community care options. It is currently a hardship for many historically underserved, ethnically and racially diverse families to travel to other parts of the state to visit and support their loved ones.
The Ci
ty of Simi Valley supports the funding application to ensure this vital service is available within Ventura County. We are committed to collaborating with Ventura County Behavioral Health and community partners to support this essential resource.
Si
ncerely,
Fred
D. Thomas
Mayor
ATTACHMENT B
7 COUNTYfl{VENTURA
October 29, 2024
Board of Supervisors
County of Ventura
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009
COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE
SEVET JOHNSON, PsyD
County Executive Officer
Mike Pettit
Assistant County Executive Officer
Scott Powers
County Chief Financial Officer
Danielle Keys
County Human Resources Director
Labor Relations
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing and Directing the County of Ventura to Participate in the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: 2024 Launch Ready Grant Program Administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for Funding to Establish the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC), the East County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), and the East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), in an Amount Not to Exceed $235,000,000.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution authorizing and directing the County of Ventura to participate in the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 1: 2024 Launch Ready grant program administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for funding to establish the Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC), the East County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), and the East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), in an amount not to exceed $235,000,000. (Exhibit 1) FISCAUMANDATES IMPACT:
This recommendation has no fiscal impact and is seeking authorization to apply for BHCIP Round 1 grant funding. If VCBH is awarded the BHCIP grant funding, VCBH will return to your Board to seek approval to accept the award and to execute the necessary contractual documents.
STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITY:
The item presented in this Board letter aligns to the Healthy, Safe, and Resilient Communities strategic priority of the County Strategic Plan as it is designed to meet the goals of providing equitable and timely access to quality mental health services.
DISCUSSION:
HALL OF ADMINISTRATION L#l940
(805) 654-2681 • FAX (805) 658-4500 • 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009
ATTACHMENT C
8 BHCIP Resolution for Round 1 Application
October 29, 2024
The Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) was established by 2021 State legislation (AB133) to provide capital funding for a variety of behavioral health facilities. In prior funding rounds, the County was awarded $964,000 for the Transitional Age Youth Rapid Response Team, $150,000 for planning the East County Crisis Stabilization Unit, and $6,431,032 for the Youth and Family Community Resource Center.
In 2024, the BHCIP program was continued through Proposition 1 (SB326 and AB 531 ), which authorized $6.38 billion in general obligation bonds to finance the conversion, rehabilitation, and construction of supportive housing and behavioral health housing and treatment settings.
In partnership with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), the State's third-party grant administrator, DHCS will release these funds through two grant rounds targeting various gaps in the State's behavioral health facility infrastructure:
• Round 1 (Due December 13, 2024 ): $3.3 billion available, of which o $1.5 billion is open only to counties, cities, and tribal entities with no regional caps.
o $1.8 billion is a competitive grant open to counties, cities, and tribal entities, as well as nonprofit and for-profit organizations, with regional caps (Ventura County competes for a $264 million Southern California allocation, not including Los Angeles County).
• Round 2 (Due 2025 est.)
o An additional $1.1 billion for behavioral health projects is to be made available.
In addition, Proposition 1 allocated $2 billion to build permanent supportive housing (PSH) for veterans and others that are homeless or at risk of homelessness and that have mental health or substance use challenges. Applications for Homekey+ are anticipated to be due starting in January 2025. This board letter focuses on BHICP Round 1, our Office will report on strategies for Homekey+ under separate cover.
Our office, in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Department, seeks Board authorization to apply for three projects under BHCIP Round 1: 2024 Launch Ready:
Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC)
The Lewis Road Community is a County-owned 54-acre campus providing a variety of housing and wellness services. These services include affordable multifamily housing, behavioral health treatment, care for children at Casa Pacifica, adult residential facilities, as well as Growing Works, a commercial nursery treatment program. 9 BHCIP Resolution for Round 1 Application
October 29, 2024
Staff have identified the former RAIN homeless shelter on the Lewis Road campus as a site for a 38-bed Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC). The existing building will be renovated, along with the addition of water and road infrastructure improvements, a transit hub, and a community center, to build out the Lewis Road Vision Plan approved by your Board in May 2023. Additional MHRC beds for the campus are under consideration as part of the grant application.
A mental health rehabilitation center (MHRC) is a secure, residential program which provides intensive psychiatric treatment and rehabilitative services intended to facilitate the recoveries of adults (18 years or older) diagnosed with serious mental illnesses and significant functional mental disorders. The anticipated clients are adults stepping down from an in-patient hospital environment on conservatorship under the authority of the Public Guardian's Office who meet criteria for specialty mental health services, specifically, those diagnosed with serious mental illnesses and experiencing significant functional impairment. Most common diagnoses are expected to include thought and mood disorders (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.).
Treatment and services will include medication service/support, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, case management, and socialization/life skills. MHRCs can be locked or un-locked with average lengths of stay in the range of 18 to 24 months. The MHRC proposed at the RAIN building would be a locked facility.
At present, Ventura County has more than 85 persons in out-of-County MHRC placements. Some residents have been placed in out-of-County treatment centers that are over 200 miles away from home. This MHRC complex is a high priority to bring our residents back into our County and closer to home during their treatment. The maximum total budget for the campus is estimated at $180 Million.
East County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU)
Crisis Stabilization Units are community-based treatment facilities that provide immediate care to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis and operate 24/7. CSUs assess the needs of the client and provides and facilitates the appropriate mental health treatment and services when possible. CSUs tend to be smaller facilities often with attention to providing a "home-like" setting that aims to help agitated clients to relax. With stays of less than 24 hours, clients are accommodated in reclining chairs as opposed to beds.
The County is in the process of renovating County-owned 3150 E. Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley into a CSU. However, the existing building is over 60 years old.
With BHCIP funding, the building would be replaced with a new facility for outpatient mental health services including a CSU. The location of this intended CSU is next door to the proposed East County PHF facility. The synergistic relationship between the CSU and PHF is akin to that of an emergency room and medical hospital. While upwards of two-thirds of patients can be expected to have their emergent mental health needs 10 BHCIP Resolution for Round 1 Application
October 29, 2024
addressed at the level of the CSU, one-third will need access to higher acuity care at the next-door PHF. Total estimated budget for the new building is $20 Million.
East County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF)
PHFs provide 24-hour inpatient care for adults (18 years and older) with acute psychiatric needs that cannot be addressed at a lower level of care. The acuity of the clients housed at PHFs are higher than those of clients at MHRCs, and they have a shorter average length of stay, at less than three weeks. Staff has identified a vacant parcel improved with a parking lot adjacent to a County-owned VCBH facility located at 3150 East Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley as the future location of a PHF. If patients cannot have their emergent mental health needs addressed at the level of the CSU, one of the treatment options could be inpatient treatment which the PHF would provide with its multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, mental health therapists, and nurses. The estimated budget for the PHF is $35 Million.
Funding Operating Costs
Should the County be awarded funding, as part of the grant agreement, the County must agree to provide operations at these facilities for at least 30 years. The State is not providing any operational funding as part of this grant availability. The CEO's Office, alongside VCBH, continue to analyze the feasibility of operating both the Lewis Road and Simi Valley facilities described herein for 30 years (required under the grant agreement).
Should that analysis determine that aspects of these projects are not financially viable, Staff would modify the application as such. For example, the Simi Valley CSU and PHF project could be modified to remove the replacement building for the CSU from the application. Staff continues to strategize the best mix of State Realignment, Medi-Cal, and other funding necessary to operate these facilities.
Proposition 1 provides the County with perhaps a once in a generation opportunity to build behavioral health beds to address gaps in the County's care continuum. Adoption of the attached Resolution is required to apply for BHCIP Round 1: 2024 Launch Ready funds and provides authority for signing grant agreements should the County be awarded funding. During the pre-application conference, the State instructed County staff to think beyond the needs of today and apply for large campus projects. There is no guarantee that the projects will be awarded as shown in the application. The State can ask for an adjustment to the project scaling. The State can also decide not to award certain components of each project. In order to maintain flexibility, Staff is requesting Board authority to apply for the largest scope possible.
This Board letter has been reviewed by the County Executive Office, Auditor-Controller's Office, and County Counsel. If you have any questions regarding this item, please contact 11 BHCIP Resolution for Round 1 Application
October 29, 2024
Program Management Analyst Clay Mccarter at (805) 654-2535 or VCBH Director Loretta Denering at (805) 981-2214.
Respectfully,
��
Behavioral Health Director
Sevet .Johnson� Psy.D
Gounty Executive Officer
,
Attachments:
Exhibit 1 - Resolution
12 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) FAQs
What is a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF)? Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU) are community-based treatment facilities that operate 24/7/365 and provide immediate care to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. CSUs assess the needs of clients and provide/facilitate appropriate treatment and services for people with mental health and/or substance use disorders. CSUs tend to be small facilities with attention to providing a calm, quiet, “home-like” setting. The aim is to provide agitated and/or anxious people with a comfortable environment that lends itself to de-escalation, relaxation, and stabilization. With stays of less than 24 hours, clients are accommodated in reclining chairs as opposed to beds. CSUs are secure facilities, often assessing and attending to the needs of clients who have been placed on involuntary holds (i.e., W&IC 5150).
Psychiatric Health Facilities (PHF) are licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services to provide 24-hour, inpatient care for both involuntary and voluntary patients. PHFs provide acute mental health treatment and services for people requiring an inpatient level of care. Unlike Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, which have no size restrictions, by regulation PHFs have 16 beds or less. They are secure settings which allow for the treatment of people on involuntary holds (i.e., W&IC 5150, 5250, 5270).
What are the community benefits of a Crisis Stabilization Unit? • Viable, appropriate option for Law Enforcement , alternative other law enforcement interventions, including arrest/incarceration.
• Critical resource for medical emergency departments that introduces an appropriate level of care ahead of psychiatric hospitalization.
• Often able to divert individuals in mental health crisis from a higher level of care sparing from them the unintended effects a unnecessary hospitalizations • Increases the likelihood of better b ehavioral health outcomes by linking people to appropriate, local treatment and services.
• They serve as a safe, secure treatment setting that is less restrictive than a hospital or jail. • CSUs are a preferred, cost-efficient alternative. Studies have shown that the cost of treatment in Crisis Stabilization Centers is significantly less than psychiatric inpatient stays and satisfaction among clients is greater.
Who will VCBH collaborate with to ensure an effective integrated CSU in the community? VCBH will collaborate with a variety of partners to ensure the success of the integrated Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), including:
Families and
Friends
Law
Enforcement
Individuals
with Lived
Experience
Local
Hospitals
Outpatient
Clinics Crisis Team Inpatient
Units
ATTACHMENT D
13 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) FAQs
By working together, we can continue to build a supportive network that addresses the diverse needs of individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Why should the CSU and PHF be in close physical proximity? Two-thirds of people presenting at a CSU in a mental health crisis have their needs met adequately and appropriately and are able to avoid psychiatric hospitalization. The remaining third who do require inpatient treatment benefit from the ease of transition (i.e., short walk) to a hospital in an adjacent building. The need for an ambulance to transport is eliminated. The close physical proximity also allows for greater coordination/planning of care among the treatment staffs What won’t happen at the CSU and PHF
• The CSU/PHF are secure settings that are closely monitored, clients will remain inside of these facilities and will not roam outside.
• Clients will not released to the street . Admissions and discharges will be managed and typically clients will transported to lower levels of care once stabilized. • Visiting hours are managed in a considered and thoughtful manner appropriate to the setting. • No police/ambulance lights and/or sirens during times of admission and discharge. • The CSU/PHF will not be a “magnet” for drawing unhoused persons to the area.
Individuals who receiving services from the CSU/PHF will come from appropriate referral sources.
What are the building plans for the CSU/PHF?
• The County owned building at 3150 E. Los Angeles Avenue is currently used for Substance Abuse and DUI services. The shifting of services to new locations allows for the construction of a Crisis Stabilization Unit in half of the building. (yellow outline) • The CSU will be comprised of four recliner chairs that will be staffed by mental health professionals to assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. • The County is purchasing the adjacent lot from the Simi Valley Unified School District for the Psychiatric Health Facility. (orange outline)
14 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) FAQs
Summary
• An East County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) would address the need for Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) among East County residents, particularly for crisis stabilization. • The VCBH Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) will fill the gap left by the closure of a similar facility at the Simi Adventist Hospital, providing integrated care that reduces costs and minimizes out-of-county hospitalizations.
• VCBH is dedicated to being a good neighbor through the implementation and continuous support of these safe and secure facilities.
15 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) FAQs
What is a Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC)?
A mental health rehabilitation center is a 24 -hour program that provides intensive treatment and rehabilitative services designed to facilitate the recoveries of adults with serious mental illnesses and significant functional impairment . As such, t hey meet the criteria for specialty mental health service. MHRCs are licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
MHRC clients are typically conserved under the authority of the Public Guardian’s Office . Common diagnoses include thought disorders (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, etc.) and bipolar disorders. Treatment and services include medication management, nursing support, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, peer support, socialization/life skills, case management, and crisis intervention.
MHRCs can be either locked or un-locked facilities with average lengths of stay in the range of 18 to 24 months. The MHRC proposed at the RAIN building would be a locked facility.
What is the purpose of the MHRC?
While locked MHRCs might be perceived as providing restrictive, involuntary treatment much time and care has been invested in designing a “home-like” setting with access to outdoor space that is secure, but nonetheless comfortable and allows for freedom of movement. Both the approach to treatment and the environment are intended to promote the type of wellness and recovery that inspires clients, who commonly struggle with insight/judgment, to learn to make better choices f or themselves.
What are the building plans for the MHRC?
• Adaptive re -use of the former RAIN homeless shelter into a 38 -bed Mental Health Rehabilitation Center.
• The two existing MHRCs in Ventura County have a combined 31 beds which is not sufficient to meet the needs of our Medi-Cal population.
• Ventura County currently has more than 80 clients in out-of-county treatment facilities which has led to the objective to bring our residents home.
Has the County built an MHRC before, and if so, what have been the impacts to the community? The County designed and constructed Horizon View MHRC 10 years ago. It is located at 333 Skyway Drive in Camarillo at the Camarillo Airport. Of note, even though the 16-bed MHRC is a locked facility its fits into its surroundings at the airport complex and does not call undue attention to clinical objectives. The facility is surrounded by a variety of businesses and amenities, including a park, commercial offices, and both a preschool and high school.
The RAIN building was chosen for adaptive re-use as an MHRC for a few different reasons. First, one of the hoped for funding sources, the State’s Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), is a competitive grant process that is intended to support “shovel-ready” projects.
ATTACHMENT E
16 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) FAQs
This redesign both qualifies as shovel ready and serves to expedite the timeframe for the MHRC to become operational. Secondly, the location on Lewis Road, in close proximity to other mental health facilities (at different point on the continuum of care), is alignment with the State’s stated desire to see “campus” settings that include different levels of care.
The County and its partners have applied for competitive state funding to build an MHRC (i.e., new construction) twice in recent years and have been unsuccessful both times. Adaptive re-use of the RAIN building is expected to score higher in the competitive grant process (i.e., increasing the likelihood of an award) and be both cost effective and quicker to complete. Lastly, the redesign will preserve the stately (exterior) architecture of the RAIN building which is in keeping with the bucolic Lewis Road Campus setting.
What Won’t Happen at the MHRC?
• The MHRC will be a secure facility with secure grounds that prevent clients from roaming outside of the facility.
• No police/ambulance lights and/or sirens. Admissions and discharges will all be planned and occur when clients are calm and stable.
• Clients will not released to the street. Clients typically discharge (and are transported) to lower levels of care after achieving their recovery goals.
• The side of the MHRC that is nearest to other Lewis Road facilities (adjacent to the detention basin) is the “back of house” areas (i.e. delivery, trash, mechanical, etc.) • The clinical population intended for the MHRC will mostly include persons under purely civil commitments (i.e., legal grounds being they are unable to utilize “food, clothing, and shelter”. • The proposed MHRC c annot be legally used as a placement for people with histories of sexual offenses which require them to register with the local police authority as so-called “290 17 Ventura County Behavioral Health
Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) FAQs
registrants”. These registrants are subject to legal restrictions that prohibit them from living within a specified distance to a school (i.e., approximately 2,000ft). For this reason , 290 registrants will not be placed at the MHRC in the redesigned RAIN building. 18