County Receives $65 Million Grant for Mental Health Facility at Metropolitan State Hospital
In a significant move to address the mental health and homelessness crises in Los Angeles County, a $65 million state grant has been awarded to support the development of the Los Angeles County Care Community at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk [1].
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to provide a continuum of housing and treatment options for individuals with mental health challenges. The project involves renovating and transforming underutilized portions of the Metropolitan State Hospital campus into facilities offering comprehensive support services, including housing and mental health treatment [1].
The collaboration between the State of California and Los Angeles County aims to address the urgent need for more housing and treatment facilities in the region. The Metropolitan State Hospital, a state-run public hospital specializing in psychiatric care, has an open campus within a security perimeter on 162 acres of state property [1].
The grant is part of the $3.3 billion voter-approved Proposition 1 funds. It will be used to renovate two buildings, which will become psychiatric subacute facilities for transitional age youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Each of the two buildings will have 16 beds, totaling 32 beds dedicated to this population [1].
The entire care community will have 219 beds and the capacity to treat hundreds of patients every year. Notably, on February 11, 2021, the Metropolitan State Hospital transferred forty-three female patients out of the former California Youth Authority facility [1].
While the specific breakdown of how the $65 million will be allocated within the project is not detailed in the available information, Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) has authored a measure to allow LA County to develop a mental health treatment and housing facility on the Metropolitan State Hospital property [1].
However, a recent incident involving a police officer assigned to the hospital, Mario Uribe Estrada, has cast a shadow over the project. Estrada was arrested on a dozen counts of sexual molestation involving a 14-year-old girl [2]. The Metropolitan State Hospital administration is cooperating with the investigation, and the officer has been placed on leave.
As the development of the Los Angeles County Care Community moves forward, it is hoped that it will provide much-needed support and resources for those struggling with mental health issues and homelessness in the region.
References: [1] Los Angeles Times. (2021, February 11). LA County to get $65 million for mental health housing at Norwalk hospital. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-11/la-county-to-get-65-million-for-mental-health-housing-at-norwalk-hospital [2] Los Angeles Times. (2021, March 22). Norwalk police officer arrested on suspicion of molesting 14-year-old girl. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-22/norwalk-police-officer-arrested-on-suspicion-of-molesting-14-year-old-girl
- The Los Angeles County Care Community, a $65 million project, is part of the effort to provide comprehensive mental health support for the community, including housing, treatments, and therapies for individuals struggling with mental health challenges and homelessness.
- In the broader context of addressing community news and health-and-wellness issues, the Los Angeles County Care Community, funded by Proposition 1, will offer housing and mental health treatment services for transitional age youth between 18 and 25, with a focus on mental health and mental health treatment.
- As part of promoting science, mental health, and health-and-wellness initiatives in the region, the development of the Los Angeles County Care Community is expected to provide a continuum of housing and treatment options for individuals with mental health challenges, including eventual support for hundreds of patients every year.
