Anne Robin, Behavioral Health Director, answering questions from the Board of Supervisors.
Anne Robin, Behavioral Health Director, answers questions from the Board of Supervisors.

County Approves Funding for Residential Treatment Center

Author: Behavioral Health Department
Date: 4/15/2019 5:35 PM

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 the County's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support establishing a contract with Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO) for construction of a new withdrawal management and residential treatment center at 40 Prado Road in San Luis Obispo.

The Board approved a request by the Behavioral Health Department to use $500,000 of 2011 Public Safety Realignment (AB109) funds to begin construction on a new treatment facility at 40 Prado Road in San Luis Obispo, adjacent to the new Homeless Services Center. The facility will be designed to serve individuals who are in need of substance use withdrawal management and residential treatment.

The Health Agency has identified withdrawal management services in a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) model as a gap in the continuum of care for individuals seeking drug and alcohol services. As part of the Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) Organized Delivery System (ODS) contract with the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the County will be required to provide three levels of residential substance use disorder treatment.
 
Since the start of the ODS program the Health Agency participated in a number of planning meetings with the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. (CAPSLO) to explore options for the development and operation of a residential withdrawal management center on the site of the new Homeless Services Center (40 Prado) in San Luis Obispo. The center would provide clinically managed services to between 8 and 10 persons in need of medication assisted detoxification services or other residential treatment and, if needed, link them to related services.

Currently, there is no such service facility in the county.  Without a residential treatment program available locally for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the Health Agency is required to contract with out of county providers for this level of care.

The Public Safety Realignment (AB 109) one-time funding in the amount of $500,000 will be matched by community (and/or other) funds raised by CAPSLO to construct the facility. It is estimated that an additional $500,000 in funding will be needed to complete construction of the project. Community partners are working together to complete the project within the next two years.