SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services (BHS)​ provides programs, services, outreach, education, and engagement to eligible residents of Sacramento County with prevention and early intervention, outpatient services, case management services, crisis intervention and stabilization services, and inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations to better connect individuals to necessary supports, including mental health and substance abuse services.

Community Outreach Recovery Empowerment (CORE) Program​

CORE provides specialty mental health outpatient services at 11 sites throughout Sacramento County.   In addition to these sites, services are delivered in the community, wherever requested. Each CORE site has a co-located peer run community wellness center, which is open to any Sacramento County adult seeking meaningful activities.

CORE sites have the capacity to serve 7,700 throughout the system at any point in time. Each program includes flexible dollars for preventing or helping resolve homelessness. Of the 7,700, as of February 2024, there is an available capacity for 3,115.

Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic (MHUCC)​

MHUCC is a 24/7 resource with a team of peers, clinicians, and medical staff who can assist in a calm and supportive environment. If anyone is having an immediate mental health and/or co-occurring substance abuse need and contemplating using an emergency room, the clinic is a great alternative for care. The County is also working to open a second MHUCC.

Substance Use and Prevention Treatment

Sacramento County Behavioral Health provides a range of substance use treatment programs for the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug use/abuse. We contract with an array of community-based service providers throughout Sacramento County. The range of services provided through these organizations includes outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment, withdrawal management (detoxification), residential treatment, perinatal services, and sober living environments/recovery residences.  

Programs Earmarked for People Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Health Crisis

While persons experiencing homelessness that have mental health treatment needs can access any of the County’s behavioral health services and programs, there are specific teams and programs designed to serve the unique needs of these clients.

Full-Service Partnerships (FSPs)

FSPs provide individually tailored intensive services for clients who are most at risk – including those experiencing homelessness and have a serious mental illness. Clients receive intensive case management and mental health services as well as HUD funded housing subsidies. Not all persons that are living with a mental illness and are homeless qualify for an FSP. Currently there are 12 FSPs capable of serving a total of 2,751 eligible individuals – with availability for 379 additional clients – many of which are earmarked for seniors and transitional aged youth (TAY).

The County also has and is expanding three programs for those who meet medical necessity (Medi-Cal), have a mental health diagnosis (can be provisional) and are justice involved (exiting incarceration).

Community Justice Support Program (CJSP) serves 175 persons, Transformative, Healing, Renewing, Inclusive, Voice, Empowerment (THRIVE) FSP – currently in contracting - 200 persons, and THRIVE Adult Outpatient Program – three walk-in locations under development – 750 persons​.

Flexible Integrated Treatment (FIT) Program

Serving youth under age 21 with a mental illness and their families experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. In addition to mental health services, FIT can also assist with housing services and support. FIT serves approximately 9,000 youth annually with outpatient mental health services that includes flexible dollars for preventing or helping resolve homelessness.

Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART)

Staffed with counselors and peers HEART uses a phased approach to help encampment and shelter residents enroll in needed behavioral health services and support. From rapport building to offering basic services to building enough trust to offer behavioral health assessments and eventually, referrals – the timeline for these phases can be weeks or years. The team's goal is to reach enrollment phase so that encampment and shelter residents will consent to and can obtain the behavioral service​s they need.

In 2023, HEART had 3,200 outreach encounters with people experiencing homelessness in encampments and shelters. 

Nearly 600 were screened for mental health services, 463 were admitted to outpatient programs, and 123 were linked to a full-service partnership (FSP) intensive outpatient program.

​​Sacramento County has capacity for 2,751 FSPs with nearly 400 available for use – including those for targeted sub-populations like transitional aged youth​.

​​Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

PSH units offer long-term stable housing and services to support individuals and families who need ongoing assistance to maintain housing stability and prepare to enter the job market, school, and other community activities. Each of these projects also include a subset of units that are specifically funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) or No Place Like Home (NPLH) dollars and are earmarked for those with living with a severe mental illness.

Some facts are that there are 434 dedicated apartments across 16 projects since 2008, 264 MHSA funded units currently in operation (plus 33 units waiting for natural turnover, 137 NPLH funded units currently in operation, 175 Units currently in the pipeline in varying stages of construction, 138 MHSA funded units, and 37 NPLH funded units.

Additional Intensive Treatment Programs and Beds

Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services also funds a variety of programs and services that serve those experiencing more acute behavioral health challenges, such as severe mental health needs or substance abuse. ​

There are 484 Acute Psychiatric Hospital Beds, 98 Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) beds, Youth specific beds in planning, 266 Subacute beds, a plan to add a 64 Bed Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, 14 Adult Residential Treatment (ART) beds, 210 beds in Safe Stay Communities in 2024/25 Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, 60 Crisis Residential beds, and 104 Augmented Board and Cares beds.