San Diego County and state officials have kicked off a major mental health project in Santee, breaking ground yesterday on a $28.1 million renovation that will turn a wing of the county-run Edgemoor Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility into a 12-bed acute psychiatric unit. The overhaul will remake a 13,500-square-foot wing and add a 5,780-square-foot courtyard, with county leaders saying the work is on track for completion in May 2027. Once open, the unit is intended to offer round-the-clock, short-term intensive psychiatric care for people in serious behavioral-health crisis.
Nadia Privara Brahms, director of County Behavioral Health Services, said the county is excited to begin work on the East County unit, according to the Times of San Diego. The ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday brought out county and state leaders, who underscored that the new unit is designed to keep more patients close to home while they stabilize. Officials said the wing will be staffed to provide 24/7 care and short inpatient stays.
What the unit will do
County planning documents describe the Edgemoor conversion as a 12-bed facility focused on short-term, intensive inpatient treatment that can reduce transfers to emergency departments and more distant psychiatric hospitals. As outlined in a county board letter, the plan allows skilled-nursing residents who need psychiatric stabilization to receive that care on-site and expands access for vulnerable East County residents. Board materials also cast the project as one piece of a broader effort to boost local inpatient capacity and tighten coordination across crisis services.
Funding and timeline
The renovation is primarily funded through the state’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), with the full project budget listed at $28.1 million. Construction on the 13,500-square-foot wing began in early March, and county officials say crews are targeting a May 2027 finish, according to the Times of San Diego. Planners say typical stays at the new unit will be brief, ranging from a few days to one to two weeks, with the goal of linking patients back to community-based services once they are stabilized.
Background and next steps
The county first sought BHCIP support for the Edgemoor conversion in 2022 and accepted a Launch Ready grant to help pay for initial capital costs, according to county board materials. The Edgemoor Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility is located at 655 Park Center Drive in Santee, according to San Diego County Behavioral Health Services. County leaders say the next steps include interior renovation work, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development review and licensing, all of which must be completed before the unit can begin accepting patients in 2027.
