HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-01-21; Psychiatric Facility in North County; Gallucci, NealTo the members of the:
CllY COUNCIL
Date 1/2, /2bCA ~cc ~
CM1::._COO L_DCM (3)~
Jan. 21, 2020
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Council Memorandum
Honorable Mayor Hall and e
Neil Gallucci, Chief of Polic
Scott Chadwick, City Mana r
PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY BUILDING
{cityof
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2020007
On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, the Board of Supervisors voted to enter into an agreement with
Tri-City Healthcare District to build a psychiatric health facility in Oceanside.
Background
In August 2018, the Tri-City Medical Center Board of Directors voted to suspend the operations
of the Behavioral Health Unit and Crisis Stabilization Unit. The decision left North County
agencies with only three options for transporting adult mental health (5150) patients, which
consist of Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, and the S~n
Diego County Psychiatric Hospital in San Diego.
Discussion
The calls for service surrounding mental health have been steadily increasing over the years.
For the past year and a half, the San Diego County Chiefs and Sheriff Association have been
trying to persuade the Board of Supervisors to reconsider the suspension . On June 20, 2019,
the Police Department submitted a letter to the Tri-City Medical Center in response to their
questions on the impact of the Behavioral Health Unit's closure. The Police Department stated
that the development of a behavioral health facility in North County would greatly alleviate
time and transportation issues for law enforcement officers, and the availability of the
resources may mitigate the overall problem of increasing mental health calls for service as well.
The Board of Supervisors voted to enter into an agreement with the Tri-City Healthcare District
to build a psychiatric health facility in Oceanside. The County will contribute $17.4 million to
build the 16-bed facility, which will be located on vacant land at Tri-City Medical Center in
Oceanside. Tri-City will operate the facility. The County will lease the property on which the
psychiatric health facility will be built, construct the building, and then sublease the building to
Tri-City. Tri-City will repay the County 50% of the construction costs over time through a
combination of lease agreements and services .
. Next Steps
The new psychiatric facility could take up to three years to open. It will complement the
Poli(:e Department
2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-2170 t
C. Anderson
Jan. 21, 2020
Page 2
County's ongoing work to review the full continuum of local behavioral health care services and
engage in regional collaboration to strengthen the services, transforming them from crisis to
chronic care. The Police Department will continue to transport mental health patients to the
available facilities until the new facility is open.
Cc: City Attorney Celia Brewer