Locked Care Services
These services provide involuntary treatment for individuals who are a danger to self, a danger to others or gravely disabled due to a mental disorder. They are either on a 72-hour hold or LPS conservatorship.
- Santa Cruz County Psychiatric Health Facility is the acute psychiatric hospital for Santa Cruz County residents who meet medical necessity criteria for acute voluntary treatment or meet Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 criteria for involuntary psychiatric care. For individuals admitted to the facility who are served by one of the County’s Coordinated Care Teams, or who will need multidisciplinary team based care following discharge, the case coordinator is actively involved in the admission and discharge process.
- Locked Skilled Nursing, MHRCs, & IMDs include facilities that are designed to provide services to individuals in need of a locked setting and are placed through a conservatorship due to chronic grave disability. County Mental Health arranges for these services at multiple facilities throughout the greater Monterey and San Francisco bay areas. Specialty services at the various facilities are used to meet the needs of the individuals referred there. Such facilities include 7th Avenue Center in Santa Cruz, various Crestwood programs and Creekside in Sonoma County. Typically individuals are placed in these settings from an acute inpatient hospital such as Santa Cruz County Psychiatric Health Facility. There are also specialized beds in other locked facilities for older adults and adults with medical complications who need skilled nursing.
Crisis Stabilization Program
Santa Cruz County Crisis Stabilization Program provides crisis assessment, crisis intervention and post-crisis planning for individuals experiencing a psychiatric emergency. This is an outpatient service of less than 24-hours. If you would benefit from more intensive services of the Santa Cruz County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) you will be screened by PHF staff to determine if you are appropriate for admission.
Sub Acute Residential Facilities
These facilities focus on assisting people who are at risk of acute hospitalization or who are being discharged from an acute setting and need extended support and time to return to the community.
- El Dorado Center (EDC) Residential Program provides an alternative to inpatient hospitalization and also serves as a discharge option from locked facilities when the individual is in need of intensive structure, supervision and treatment but no longer requires a locked setting. EDC is licensed and certified by the state as a 24-hour transitional residential social rehabilitation program for 16 adults and older adults. Individuals in the residential program participate in the EDC Outpatient Program during the day on the same campus. This program provides intensive programming to assist individuals to develop or resume a level of functioning that allows them to live in community-based settings. The program provides client-centered treatment options focused on dual diagnosis recovery, managing a psychiatric disability, psycho-education regarding health and nutrition related to a psychiatric disability and medication, development of skills and interests in the context of support systems, leisure time and linkages to the community at large. Crisis assessment and intervention services are also provided.
- Psychotherapy services and psychiatry services will be provided in collaboration with County Mental Health Services to augment the program and assist with stabilizing individuals in a community setting.
- In addition to the EDC residents, additional participants may be referred from locked care facilities to assist them in stabilizing in the community or after graduation from EDC Residential as a transition into the community.
- Telos (Crisis Residential) is licensed and certified as a 24-hour crisis residential program for 10 adults and older adults. Its primary purpose is to provide an alternative to, or diversion from acute psychiatric hospitalization. The focus of treatment is on crisis management with a maximum length of stay of 30 days, and a targeted average stay of 10 days. Psychotherapy services and psychiatry services will be provided in collaboration with County Mental Health Services to augment the program and assist with stabilizing individuals in a community setting. Referrals may be made directly by Santa Cruz County Psychiatric Health Facility, the Enhanced Support Services Team and the Acute Services Manager, or designee.
Supported Housing Services
These services are offered through an integrated Housing Support Team. This team is a collaboration among County staff, Front St. Inc and Encompass. This team includes a licensed psychiatric technician for medication support, Occupational Therapists, care coordinators, employment specialist and peer counselors. For more information, please call County Housing Coordinator, at (831) 454-4951.
- Front St., Inc. provides property management for 36 rental units in scattered sites throughout the county. These units are subsidized to be affordable to persons with mental health disabilities who are receiving services through the County mental health department. Services are coordinated by the Housing Support Team.
- Encompass Community Services owns and manages over 130 units of affordable supported housing for adults with psychiatric disabilities through its affiliated corporation CFSC . Tenants of CFSC housing are supported by the Encompass Housing Support Team, which consists of mental health counselors and peer counselors. The team provides house meetings, outings, community building events, and individual support of tenants in order to support housing stability and satisfaction. The Encompass Housing Support Team works in collaboration with Front St. Housing and the County Mental Health Housing Support Team.