Body of News Release
San Rafael, CA – Marin County Health and Human Services’ Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) has reached a significant milestone by being awarded over $13 million in grants by the State of California. The grants will help fund two groundbreaking projects aimed at serving people with mental health disorders – including those with histories of trauma and substance use – leading to homelessness or incarceration.
By offering housing support and tailored interventions, the grant projects aim to break the cycle that often leads these individuals into the criminal justice system and instead guide them towards a path of recovery and reintegration into society.
The $5.5 million Behavioral Health Bridge Housing[External] program grant will help fund BHRS’ efforts to address the immediate housing and treatment needs of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness with serious behavioral health conditions, including those involved in the future Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act Program.
Marin BHRS is partnering with Sonoma County to repurpose a former rehabilitation facility and establish a full-service behavioral health and crisis support center in Santa Rosa. The center will offer comprehensive services under one roof where people can more easily receive the care and support they need, including mental health and substance abuse treatment and connections to housing.
BHRS was also awarded $7.9 million to convert a County-owned building[PDF] into a short-term residential substance abuse and mental health treatment facility as part of the Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Project[External] grant program. The facility will provide a local option for individuals needing treatment for co-occurring disorders.
This year’s infrastructure grant award builds on a $1 million Proposition 47 grant awarded to BHRS in 2022 for a sober living residence and support resources for individuals in collaborative court programs. The additional programs provide alternatives to incarceration, in the community, for people who have had challenges maintaining housing due to mental health and substance use disorders. The initiatives address both the increase in demand for behavioral health services and the gaps in Marin’s behavioral health infrastructure.
“These grants are a tremendous victory for Marin County,” said BHRS Director Dr. Todd Schirmer. “The newly established mental health and substance use treatment facilities will provide options beyond incarceration, hospitalization, homelessness, and institutionalization for people with behavioral health conditions. This innovative model of care is poised to bring about transformative benefits for all residents of Marin County, including improved social outcomes, more people getting high-quality care and housing support instead of returning to jail, and substantial cost savings in housing and justice-related expenses.”