Mayor Daniel Lurie has laid out a new plan to beef up the city's behavioral health care resources by adding 73 new treatment beds specifically designed for individuals struggling with severe mental health challenges and substance use disorders. This includes creating 57 locked subacute treatment beds for those under conservatorship. The initiative is supported by $27.6 million in state funds from the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), as reported by the City and County of San Francisco.
Department of Public Health Director Daniel Tsai emphasized that the city is taking "necessary and bold steps" to build a more responsive behavioral health system. He also recognized the importance of state-level support in addressing what is often seen as a local crisis. The capital funding from the state will boost local treatment capacity for the city's most behaviorally complex clients, Tsai told the City and County of San Francisco.
Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman highlighted that Proposition 1, passed by Californians in March 2024, marked the State's "most significant move in decades" to address the statewide mental health bed shortage. Mandelman said, per the City and County of San Francisco, "With this funding announcement, San Francisco can now take a significant step toward meeting the needs of a population we have largely abandoned for far too long." As co-chair of the Residential Care and Treatment Workgroup, he also mentioned how rewarding it is to see the workgroup's recommendations come to fruition.
Projects awarded include $21.3 million earmarked for expanding capacity at the Behavioral Health Center on the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) campus and $6.3 million for 16 residential treatment beds serving individuals with both mental health and substance use disorders.
