Santa Cruz County advances strategic health plan on children’s crisis center to enhance mental health services
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- A groundbreaking initiative is unfolding in Santa Cruz County.
The first dedicated children’s crisis center will support youth in mental health crisis.
Significant developments are underway for the Children’s Crisis Center on 5300 Soquel Avenue.
This facility aims to provide crucial support for young people navigating mental health challenges.
A children’s crisis center will occupy the intersection of Soquel Avenue and Chanticleer and renovation efforts have reached a pivotal phase.
The first floor will provide immediate support for youth facing mental health crisis, while the second floor will offer a home-like setting with intensive care treatment services.
"These programs would be able to house residents for up to 14 days on the second floor as far as expanding the overall benefits on mental health and, the greater impacts to the community," Tiffany Martinez Departmental Communication Officer said.
As construction progresses, the focus remains on transforming the facility to meet the immediate needs of residents as well as providing a welcoming environment.
"The main focus is just upgrading the building, upgrading the rooms, creating the center that will house, support both programs," Martinez said.
Behavioral Health has seen a growing mental health crisis in our community's youth, and this actually predates COVID.
"By having a facility where our children can receive these services in our community and not have to be transferred to facilities outside of our county," Tiffany Cantrell Warren Director for Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health said. "We will also be able to connect them with local resources where they can continue their treatment longer term."
Behavioral Health says they are seeing approximately one youth experiencing a mental health crisis and needing a psychiatric hold almost every other day.
“We have a gap in our service model where we are not able to serve children in a dedicated facility to help them stabilize from a mental health crisis, or to have step-down facilities where they can receive, interim, very intensive treatment for crisis stabilization," Warren said. "It will be able to provide that in this center through eight beds for our crisis stabilization program, and then also 16 beds for crisis residential program."
Right now in the County of Santa Cruz, there is no crisis residential program, so this new facility is important to the community.
The Children’s Crisis Stabilization Program will be completed in late-to-early Summer 2025 and the Children’s Residential Program is set for Fall 2025.
