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Behavioral health officials report expanded therapeutic services at Santa Rita and early outcomes for state‑hospital diversion program
Summary
Alameda County Behavioral Health said adult forensic services at Santa Rita have expanded to a treatment model with six clinical housing units, routine levels‑of‑care assessments, and an EASE pilot that has served 23 clients with several diverted to community‑based care.
Alameda County Behavioral Health told the Public Protection Committee on Nov. 21 that its adult forensic behavioral health program at Santa Rita Jail has shifted from crisis response to a treatment‑focused model with expanded staffing, therapeutic housing units, and active reentry planning.
Juan Taysan, director of the county’s forensic diversion and reentry system of care, said the program conducts roughly 1,600 mental‑health assessments per month at intake, has expanded clinical coverage into at least six housing units (three designated therapeutic), and now operates daily multidisciplinary rounds and regular huddles to coordinate care with the sheriff’s office and medical staff.
Taysan said levels‑of‑care (LOC) determinations are now completed for everyone booked into the jail and are reassessed each time a clinician sees a client; the AFBH caseload generally runs in the high hundreds at a time, with approximately 40% of clients in LOC 2–4 who require therapeutic housing placement.
He described the EASE (Early Access to Stabilization Services) pilot, developed with the Department of State Hospitals, which is aimed at people found incompetent to stand trial who face felony charges and are referred for restoration services. "We successfully implemented this program in August," Taysan said, and added that AFBH had served 23 clients in EASE to date, with eight transitioned to community‑based levels of care.
Contracted providers gave operational detail: Telecare reported hundreds of group sessions and thousands of participant contacts since 2022; Lifelong Medical Care restarted group counseling in therapeutic housing units; and Roots Community Health’s Safe Landing program has provided post‑release supports to about 11,000 people released from Santa Rita.
Public commenters and advisory bodies at the meeting urged transparent LOC reporting and tracking of outcomes, noting LOC counts for the sickest patients (LOC 2–4) are an important measure for diversion progress. Multiple callers asked for regular public posting of LOC counts, staffing‑cost data tied to high‑need populations, and more detail on EASE case selection and medication practices.
AFBH provided an email for follow‑up (afbhmgrs@acgov.org) and said next steps include continued recruitment, CalAIM planning, expanded community linkages, and work with managed‑care partners to identify transportation and continuity‑of‑care supports.
Next steps: AFBH will continue to expand treatment models and reentry linkages, pilot behavioral‑health linkages for CalAIM, and coordinate with the sheriff’s office and contractors on continuity of care and diversion pathways.
