Construction Begins on East County’s First Crisis Unit, Expanding Mental Health Services

County leaders broke ground Thursday on East County’s first crisis stabilization unit, an alternative site where those undergoing mental health crises can receive treatment.

The 14,000-square foot property in El Cajon, slated to open in the fall of 2025, is intended to divert people from jails or emergency rooms. When the $28.75-million project opens, it will be San Diego County’s seventh such center.

According to county health officials, the crisis units, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offer round-the-clock assistance such as intervention, assessments, help with medications, therapy, peer support and connections to other services.

“This is an incredible day for East County,” said Supervisor Joel Anderson, whose Second District includes El Cajon. “One of the focuses I had was on mental health and homelessness and this is a big step in the right direction, meeting the needs of East County.”

County officials say the crisis units also assist local emergency centers by shouldering the burden of patients who are typically taken to hospitals by law enforcement.

North County’s three crisis stabilization units have helped reduce law enforcement transfers to the county’s psychiatric hospital by 40% since 2022, according to Caroline Smith, the county Health and Human Agency’s interim deputy chief administrative officer.

Other units are in Hillcrest and the Midway in San Diego and Chula Vista.

Luke Bergmann, director of county behavioral health services, said the crisis units play an integral part in goals for expanding services and adding more long-term care and inpatient psychiatric beds.

“This is one of the things that is most exciting to me about CSUs, because they are devoted to engaging people and connecting them, after stabilization, to continued care,” Bergmann said. “They represent the first step to journeys to recovery and well being that will, over time, make San Diego County a healthier county for all of us.”

– City News Service