Orange County officials are moving forward with plans to create a center for mental health and drug treatment services next to the Santa Ana River, with county supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approving the nearly $8 million purchase of a large office building to house it.
The center, if it comes to fruition, is seen by advocates and officials as a major step toward addressing a severe shortage of mental health service options in Orange County that health experts have said contributes to worsening mental illnesses and increased emergency hospitalizations for psychiatric crises.
Orange County’s proposal is modeled after a mental health campus in San Antonio, Texas, called The Restoration Center, said Mary Hale, Orange County’s behavioral health director, in an emailed response to questions.
The 22-acre San Antonio campus is widely considered a national model for mental health and drug treatment. It involves a coalition of local agencies and has reportedly saved the public a net $10 million per year, while offering a host of treatment services for people with mental illnesses and drug addictions.
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