County to Expand Mental Health Services
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Local leaders Tuesday were celebrating more than $333 million in state funding to expand access to critical mental health and substance use services in Riverside County.
The funding was awarded to the Riverside University Health System’s Behavioral Health Department through California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. Announced Monday, the investment will support projects, including the Behavioral Health Wellness Center and the Harmony Haven Children and Youth Wellness Center, among other initiatives.
“We are extremely grateful to receive these funds to expand behavioral health in Riverside County as a whole,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a statement. “We appreciate this incredible support from the State of California. We advocated with Governor Newsom for this measure, knowing the great need we have for high-quality behavioral health services and the continuum of care.”
The funding is part of Proposition 1, a bond measure passed by California voters in 2024 to improve mental health treatment and substance use services across the state.
Of the total, $184 million will go toward the Behavioral Health Wellness Center in Moreno Valley. The center will include a 100-bed inpatient psychiatric facility to serve both adults and, for the first time, children under age 12. Officials said the project will increase access to mental health care and reduce strain on local emergency rooms.
The remaining $149.7 million will fund services at the Harmony Haven Children and Youth Wellness Center in Beaumont, according to officials. The center will offer Riverside County’s first 30-bed adolescent residential substance use disorder facility, a 16-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility, a 15-station mental health urgent care unit and an outpatient clinic for ongoing behavioral health and substance use care.
In addition, officials said the state funding will help serve Riverside County’s growing population of nearly 2.5 million residents, particularly children who often have to seek care outside the county.
“When someone is in crisis, delays can worsen their condition and separate them from their family and support system,” RUHS-BH Director Dr. Matthew Chang said. “These grants are a lifeline. The Wellness Center and Harmony Haven will help us bring timely, compassionate care to the people who need it most — right here in Riverside County.”
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