San Francisco seeks state behavioral-health bond funds to add about 175 residential beds

The Board of Supervisors' Budget & Finance Committee on Nov. 20 moved forward a DPH resolution authorizing the department to submit applications for California's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program round 1, a portion of Proposition 1 funding for behavioral-health infrastructure.

Kelly Kirkpatrick, director of administration and operations for Mental Health SF at DPH, told the committee the state split Proposition 1 funding into program streams and that round 1 applications are due Dec. 13. "We have generated 6 potential projects to submit to the state on December 13," Kirkpatrick said, estimating the city would seek about $144,000,000 in one-time capital funds to create or expand capacity that together would add roughly 175 residential behavioral-health beds.

Kirkpatrick said five projects would be at SFDPH sites and a sixth would be a partnership with UCSF for additional locked subacute and acute psychiatric beds at the UCSF St. Francis campus. She stressed that grant eligibility requires expansion of service capacity and project readiness, including site control, operating funding, schematic plans and a local match.

Vice Chair Rafael Mendelmann and other supervisors lauded the bid as a major step to expand high-acuity capacity, noting the city's prior efforts to add beds and the regional challenges of securing placements. DPH said award notices are expected in May 2025 and noted that appropriation authority and purchase/sales actions would return to the Board if funds are awarded. The committee forwarded the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation (3-0).