Latest news with #BeWellCampus
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SJ County approves millions for Be Well Campus
Apr. 24—A facility focused on improving mental health and addressing substance abuse took a major step forward this week as San Joaquin County supervisors approved millions in funding to get the project off the ground. Supervisors approved the Be Well Campus' $261.8 million budget and awarded a $1.7 million service agreement to Oakland-based Herrero-McGuire Hester Joint Venture on Tuesday. The action marks the official launch of the project's first phase, which includes project validation and early design work, staff said. The Be Well Campus will be located on 23 acres of county-owned land near San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, providing crisis stabilization, detox and sobriety centers, youth and family outpatient services, and substance use treatment. Supervisors said the campus will serve as the cornerstone of a more compassionate, coordinated, and effective behavioral health system in the county. "This project is not just about building a facility — it's about investing in the future of health care for our growing community," board chair Paul Canepa said. "As our county continues to expand, we must ensure that our infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of our residents. By leveraging local resources and securing state and federal support, we're building a system of care that will address the mental health and substance use challenges our residents face, reduce homelessness, and offer long-term recovery options right here at home." The facility will be the first in the region to consolidate mental health and substance services under one roof, which Health Care Services Agency director Geneveive Valentine said will improve access, reduce stigma, and help residents avoid hospitalizations or incarceration. "Sixty percent of emergency room visits in our county are tied to acute substance use disorder," she said. "This project allows us to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right setting — for everyone in our community." Construction is expected to begin in September, with the first phase to be completed by July 2027. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned later this year. Funding will be made possible by a national opioid settlement that awarded the county $52.8 million over the next 18 years, as well as Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program monies and allocations from Assembly Bill 179. Funds from Health Plan of San Joaquin and private sector matches will also be allocated to the project, along with public health monies secured by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. To date, $66.29 million has been secured, with an additional $232 million identified through pending grants and local partnerships, the county said. "This is a big win for our community," Supervisor Steve Ding said. "The Be Well Campus is going to change lives. It means people in Lodi and across San Joaquin County will finally have real access to behavioral health care — close to home, when they need it most. For too long, outdated rules have stood in the way of building the kind of treatment centers we actually need."
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
San Joaquin County approves $261 million budget for Be Well Campus
San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton San Joaquin County approves budget for Be Well campus south of Stockton SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to approve a $261 million budget to move forward with the Be Well Campus project. "We want to increase access to behavioral health in the community, divert people needing this care from jail or going to emergency rooms," said Genevieve Valentine, the director of the county's health care services, in Tuesday afternoon's board meeting. The campus will have sobriety centers, treatment beds, and other mental health resources. County officials are using $1.6 million to outline the process of building the campus and the scope of care. "We want to create the first in-county medical substance abuse residential program, increase treatment bed capacity, allow for an integrated care model between behavioral health, the health clinics and public health," Valentine said. The campus will be built at Hospital Road and Interstate 5. "We have a massive problem here and I think it'll fill a gap that we are missing," said Jessica Velez. Velez is the founder of Red Rabbit Advocacy Programs in San Joaquin County, which helps those struggling with homelessness, drug abuse, and mental issues. She said that there aren't enough beds or treatments to go around for those who need them. "You're homeless, you go there, you're seen, then where? You got to go back to your camp to start taking [medicine]? That doesn't really work," she said. Velez hopes the Be Well Campus can put the county in the right position to help those who want it. "I hope people are willing to give these alternatives a chance because, obviously, what we're doing isn't working," she said. This campus will be built in two phases, starting with the south side of the campus and then the north. The county's goal is to have part of it built and ready in 2026.
