Solis Celebrates Expansion of Behavioral Health Services at Restorative Care Village

Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, County officials, state and project partners, and community members stand between the Mental Health Urgent Care Center and the Psychiatric Subacute Facility at the Restorative Care Village. (Photo by David Franco)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis today celebrated the opening of three new behavioral health facilities at the Restorative Care Village on the Los Angeles General Medical Center campus, marking a major milestone in her nearly 12-year effort to transform County-owned land into a connected, care-centered community.

The Phase 4 and 5 facilities include a 24-hour Mental Health Urgent Care Center, a 32-bed Residential Withdrawal Management Program and a 96-bed Psychiatric Subacute Facility. Together, the new facilities expand the County’s capacity to provide immediate mental health care, substance use disorder treatment and longer-term psychiatric services.

“For too long, people experiencing mental health challenges, substance use disorders or homelessness have been left to cycle between emergency departments, the streets and the justice system without the sustained care they need to recover,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “I envisioned the Restorative Care Village as a different way forward, one that puts care first and gives people a pathway from crisis to treatment, recovery and stability. Today, that vision is becoming a reality.”

The Restorative Care Village is a centerpiece of the broader Healthy Village taking shape around Los Angeles General Medical Center. The initiative is transforming County-owned land into a healthy, economically resilient and well-connected community with housing, health care, behavioral health services, open space, jobs and other resources that strengthen the surrounding community.

The development is part of Los Angeles County’s broader effort to address longstanding, interconnected challenges in homelessness, behavioral health and the shortage of affordable housing. Grounded in a care-first approach, the Healthy Village brings health care, behavioral health services, housing and community resources together to create stronger pathways to recovery, stability and long-term well-being.

Board Chair Solis has championed the Restorative Care Village throughout her tenure on the Board, working across County government and with state partners, community organizations and residents to advance the project. The RCV leverages multiple funding sources, including $20 million from the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Project.

“With the multitude of healthcare challenges our communities face today, LA County is proud to support campus continuum models like the Restorative Care Village. This facility will support strategies proven to help people stabilize and recover,” said Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Joseph M. Nicchitta. “The Village will allow for better coordination of care and services in a single location—rather than having to shuttle people to multiple locations to get the care they need.”

The Mental Health Urgent Care Center will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing immediate behavioral health services to adults and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis. The center is designed to connect people to appropriate care quickly and help reduce unnecessary visits to hospital emergency departments.

“With a person-centered approach, the Restorative Care Village provides a compassionate treatment alternative to crowded emergency rooms and the criminal justice system,” said Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “Through the Restorative Care Village, we are breaking down the barriers that historically separated acute behavioral health and substance use withdrawal treatment by bringing them together under one supportive roof, where we can meet our most vulnerable residents exactly where they are, walking alongside them on their path to stability, dignity and recovery.”

The 96-bed Psychiatric Subacute Facility will provide longer-term mental health treatment and support for individuals who no longer require acute hospital care but need additional structured services before transitioning to a less intensive setting. The facility will help address a critical gap in the behavioral health system and support transitions from hospitals, state facilities, diversion programs and other settings.

The Residential Withdrawal Management Program will provide a safe and supportive setting for people beginning recovery from substance use disorders. Residents will have access to medical care and treatment services, along with connections to longer-term recovery resources.

“This expansion of lifesaving behavioral health services is a critical step toward meeting people where they are,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Too many of our residents who are living with mental health challenges and struggling with substance use have had to navigate a fragmented system of care. These new services at the Restorative Care Village provide a continuum of care that will help LA County’s most vulnerable navigate their path to recovery. I thank Supervisor Solis for her continued leadership on this vision.”

The new facilities build on earlier phases of the Restorative Care Village, including a 96-bed Recuperative Care Center that provides interim housing, nursing care, case management and connections to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness who are too sick or frail to recover on the streets. The campus also includes 64 beds through Crisis Residential Treatment Programs, which provide an alternative to hospitalization for people experiencing acute psychiatric episodes or significant emotional distress.

Housing is another critical component of the Healthy Village. The two phases of Colibrí at Restorative Care Village, developed in partnership with Century Housing, will provide a combined 296 affordable and supportive homes, with on-site services and amenities including shared gathering spaces, a community garden, a peer respite facility and a workforce development kitchen.

Last week, Board Chair Solis joined Century Housing to break ground on the second phase, which includes 149 of those homes for seniors, including permanent supportive housing for formerly unhoused residents. Together, the housing and behavioral health investments advance a care-first approach that recognizes lasting stability requires both access to services and a place to call home.

Community partnership has been central to the vision from the beginning. In 2017, Board Chair Solis launched the Health Innovation Community Partnership, an unprecedented collaboration that brings together more than 40 community-based organizations, stakeholders and County departments, including Los Angeles General Medical Center.

The partnership has helped shape the development and secure community benefits responsive to local priorities, including affordable housing, wraparound services, local and targeted hiring, public art, open space and community gathering areas. Community partners will continue working with development teams as the Healthy Village takes shape.

“This is what a care-first approach looks like,” added Board Chair Solis. “We are investing in the care people need to recover, the housing they need to stay stable and the community resources that give people a chance to thrive. Most importantly, we are giving people hope and a pathway forward.”