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Adopt a resolution authorizing the Department of Health and Social Services to submit an application to the California Department of Health Care Services in response to the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 2 - Unmet Needs Program Request for Applications, for an award not to exceed $39 million; and Authorize the County Administrator to sign the application and if awarded, the Program Funding Agreement and all other documents necessary to secure the Program grant funds
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution authorizing the Department of Health and Social Services to submit an application to the California Department of Health Care Services in response to the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 2 - Unmet Needs Program Request for Applications, for an award not to exceed $39 million and authorize the County Administrator to sign the application and if awarded, the Program Funding Agreement and all other documents necessary to secure the Program grant funds, on behalf of the County.
SUMMARY:
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), through its contractor Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., has released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Proposition 1 Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 2 - Unmet Needs Program, under the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024. Funding must be used for infrastructure projects which expand community-based facility capacity exclusively for behavioral health services in the continuum of care and address unmet needs.
Solano County Health and Social Services, Behavioral Health Division, seeks Board approval to apply for these funds to develop a new Solano Behavioral Health Crisis and Recovery Center on the Beck Campus in Fairfield. The proposed facility will expand 24/7 crisis stabilization services for adults and children, establish Solano’s first peer-operated respite program, and add a sobering center to divert individuals from emergency departments and jail. The campus will serve as a one-stop center that consolidates access, improves clinical flow and safety, and ensures rapid handoffs to ongoing care.
This project advances BHCIP (Prop 1) priorities by increasing community-based capacity in the least restrictive settings, diverting individuals from incarceration, hospitalization, and homelessness, addressing urgent needs tied to SB 43 implementation and CARE Act pathways, and leveraging County-owned assets and Medi-Cal investments for long-term sustainability. Expected outcomes include faster stabilization, increased emergency department and jail diversions, reduced inpatient admissions, stronger family engagement for youth, and improved equity through culturally responsive, peer-inclusive care.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs of preparing the grant are included in the Department’s FY2025/26 Working Budget. Required 10% match funds will be met by leveraging the appraised property value of the recently constructed Mental Health Treatment Facility and, if needed, through set-aside Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and Opioid Settlement Funds. There is no anticipated cost to the General Fund for match funding.
Ongoing facility operating costs will be supported by a combination of Medi-Cal revenues (including Short-Doyle funding for Crisis Stabilization Unit and peer respite services, and Drug Medi-Cal for the sobering center), along with Realignment, Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), Opioid Settlement Funds, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) block grants.
DISCUSSION:
The Department proposes to submit a BHCIP Round 2 - Unmet Needs Program Application to develop a new Solano Behavioral Health Crisis and Recovery Center on the Beck Campus in Fairfield. The new construction will be adjacent to the recently built Beck Mental Health Treatment Facility on county-owned land. It will allow the County to expand its Crisis Stabilization Unit from 12 to 20 treatment spaces with distinct and separate spaces for adults and children. This expansion will meet the needs of the SB 43 requirements that include expanding involuntary holds and services for individuals with substance use conditions. The facility will also house a new Substance Use Disorder Sobering Center with 12 treatment slots and Solano County’s first Peer Respite program with eight slots. These additions will fill critical gaps in the behavioral health continuum and ensure access to appropriate levels of care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
A required pre-application consultation was completed on September 24, 2025. Applications are due October 28, 2025 with award announcements expected Spring 2026. Should the County be awarded, construction could begin within a year and typically takes two to three years for this type of campus facility. Post-construction and pre-opening requires re-licensing, updating Medi-Cal certification addresses, facility compliance inspections and operational set up. Anticipated completion and operations could start late 2028.
Approval of the attached resolution authorizes submission of the application, acceptance of an award up to $39,000,000, and execution of all agreements and related documents necessary to secure the Program grant funds.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to apply for the BHCIP Round 2 program. This is not recommended because the County would not be eligible to receive approximately $39 million in funding to initiate the development of an expanded Behavioral Health crisis and recovery facility which would support implementation of Proposition 1 and serve mental health clients on the Beck campus.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department of Health and Social Services has worked closely with General Services in the planning and development of this project. It will need to continue to do so if awarded during the construction phase. Stakeholders in the behavioral health community have been involved and supportive of the development of this project.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION