EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — County officials broke ground Thursday on a Crisis Stabilization Unit in El Cajon, dedicated to mental healthcare. The county already has six crisis stabilization units, but the location on S. Magnolia Ave. will be the first for the East County.
This means people in the area won't have to travel as far for care.
Connie Johnson works with Exodus Recovery, a company the county hired to provide care for patients. She says she could have used a Crisis Stabilization Unit when she went through her own mental health struggles.
"I really could have used a CSU. Becoming ill doesn’t come with a handbook," said Johnson. "It doesn’t tell you how to navigate the complicated system. I really could have used one, it would have been really helpful."
The county says the crisis unit will span 14,000 square feet. It will offer services like therapy, medication and help with addiction.
Right now, Sharp Grossmont Hospital says 5% of its emergency room patients come for mental health issues. The hospital says those patients are less likely to end up in long-term psychiatric care, or trouble with the law, if they go to a crisis stabilization unit instead.
"I want to make sure that people don’t have to be transported to North County or South Bay to get the help they need," said Joel Anderson, District Two San Diego County Supervisor. "They’ll be able to come here, we’ll be able to stabilize them, and they’ll be able to resume their life in a normal fashion."
The county says the $28.75 million facility will be funded by the Mental Health Services Act, an opioid settlement and other government revenue. It's expected to open next fall.
