On March 19, the Department of Commerce (DOC) will open its second round of competitive capital grants for behavioral health facilities. A total of $28.5 million is available in this round, including $8 million solely for community hospitals, freestanding evaluation and treatment providers, or freestanding psychiatric hospitals to develop capacity for beds to serve individuals on 90- and 180-day civil commitment orders. Funding must increase capacity to serve individuals who will be transitioned from or diverted from the state hospitals. Awardees of those funds must demonstrate that they are able to meet the applicable licensing and certification requirements for the facility as outlined by the Department of Health and the Health Care Authority. The awardee must demonstrate that the Health Care Authority intends to contract with the facility for operating costs.
Other grant amounts in this round of funding include $5 million for at least four mental health peer respite centers, $8 million for four intensive behavioral health treatment facilities and $7.5 million for enhanced adult residential care facilities for dementia patients who have been discharged or diverted from the state psychiatric hospitals. Applications for these programs are due May 18. Please see DOC’s Notice of Funding Availability for further details.
