San Diego’s behavioral health system was clogged before the pandemic, and it got worse during the pandemic.

Next year, the state’s new CARE Court mandate is poised to put more pressure on a system that has long grappled with a deficit of long-term care options that has fueled long waits in hospital beds and delays for others seeking care.

Our Lisa Halverstadt obtained county data revealing that the number of days adult behavioral health patients with Medi-Cal insurance spent waiting for post-hospital care has surged since the start of the pandemic.

The county has also lost hundreds of so-called board-and-care beds over the last decade that were long considered key housing options for behavioral health patients.

County officials who have in the past few years focused more of their investments in crisis services are now pledging to bolster back-end resources and expected to be crucial options for CARE Court participants and other patients. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has pushed controversial CARE Court reforms, has noted that the state is offering unprecedented funding to help counties build out behavioral health resources to better address the need.

Next Tuesday, county officials are set to provide their own analysis of needed behavioral health beds at a County Board of Supervisors meeting and next month, they plan to unveil their strategy to deliver them.

Read the story in its entirety here. 

A plan to relocate the Del Mar train tracks from the fragile Del Mar bluffs into an underground tunnel is moving forward, and regional planners say the move is crucial as the bluffs continue to erode. 

Almost 2 miles of the busy LOSSAN rail corridor runs along the Del Mar bluffs, which have been impacted by rising sea levels, erosion and increasingly severe rainstorms over the years.

SANDAG recently received a $300 million state grant toward the project, which could cost a total of up to $3 billion and won’t be completed until 2035, the agency estimates.

Del Mar officials can’t wait for the move as they say years of bluff stabilization efforts, including the building of seawalls, has increasingly restricted access to Del Mar’s beaches. The relocation would also greatly reduce the threat of bluff collapses for beachgoers.

The project is part of SANDAG’s $160 billion Regional Transportation Plan. 

Read the North County Report here. 

The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Tigist Layne. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. 

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}

{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Voice of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

110 West A St. Suite 650, San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: 619-325-0525

We rely on people like you to support this service. Please donate or sponsor VOSD today.