Los Angeles, CA — In a significant move to address the region’s mental health crisis, Los Angeles County officials are advancing a project to provide nearly 100 treatment beds for individuals with serious mental illnesses. These beds are a critical addition to the county’s efforts to support its most vulnerable residents.
The Restorative Care Village
The new beds, totaling 96, will complete the county’s Restorative Care Village in Boyle Heights. This facility is specifically designed to meet the healthcare needs of Los Angeles County’s unhoused population.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis emphasized the importance of these treatment beds, describing them as the “most needed to help address our County’s behavioral health crisis.”
“Once completed, the Restorative Care Village will restore dignity to our communities and give our most vulnerable hope for a new beginning,” Solis said in a news release.
Who Will Benefit?
The project targets individuals with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, who no longer require hospitalization but are not yet ready for independent living. The facility will provide round-the-clock psychiatric care within a secure environment.
Project Costs and Funding
The estimated cost for the project is $143 million. Funding will partly come from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The project is slated for completion in 2026.
Addressing the Severe Need
A February report by a consulting agency hired by the county identified these subacute beds as the “most urgent resource need” for addressing the ongoing behavioral health crisis. Experts estimate that Los Angeles County requires hundreds more beds at this treatment level to adequately support residents with serious mental illnesses.
Challenges in Providing Psychiatric Beds
The shortage of psychiatric beds can be traced back to a 1965 federal Medicaid rule known as the Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) exclusion. This rule prevents facilities focusing on treating adults with mental illness from receiving Medicaid funds if they have more than 16 beds. The rule aimed to phase out large asylums notorious for inhumane treatment and promote smaller, community-based facilities. However, the anticipated proliferation of smaller facilities never materialized.
The Boyle Heights project is designed to comply with the IMD exclusion rule. It will feature six separately-operated programs within a 92,000-square-foot facility, ensuring it can receive necessary funding while providing much-needed care.
By expanding mental health resources with projects like the Restorative Care Village, L.A. County is taking crucial steps toward supporting its most vulnerable populations and addressing the critical shortage of mental health treatment beds.
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