SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- On Friday, Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced the opening of a new 70-bed residential program on Treasure Island for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.
"This new residential step-down program will help people with substance use disorder receive the follow-up care they need after receiving treatment," Breed said. "The program is part of our larger efforts to provide comprehensive substance use treatment for San Franciscans while also addressing conditions on our streets. We need to have resources across the entire spectrum of care, from engaging with people directly on the street to having these long-term beds."
JJ Smith, a Tenderloin community activist and anti-drug advocate, interviewed unsheltered people around the neighborhood Friday asking if they would go to Treasure Island for housing and services.
One man responded, "I want to go! I love it." He added that the Tenderloin is plagued by too much violence.
Another man also expressed enthusiasm for getting out of the Tenderloin and going to Treasure Island. "You'd be away from a lot of the drugs and easy access to substances. So that would definitely make a huge difference for someone who is prone to relapse."
The Mayor's Office said the 70 beds will provide clients with transitional recovery housing for up to two years following completion of a residential treatment for substance use disorder. During their stay, clients will receive support while they participate in outpatient treatment and seek employment, according to the Mayor's Office.
The Treasure Island beds will add to the city’s existing 2,200 behavioral health beds as part of SFDPH’s commitment to care for and treat people who struggle with mental health and substance use, city officials said.
SFDPH is partnering with HealthRIGHT 360 to operate the new program on Treasure Island. The organization has already started accepting clients and the beds will be utilized over the course of the next several months.
"Step-down programs are a vital component of substance use disorder treatment for people who enter treatment without safe or stable housing," said Dr. Vitka Eisen, CEO of HealthRIGHT 360. "Having the ability to complete residential treatment and go to a step-down program for outpatient care helps further stabilize clients with substance use disorder so they can build on a solid foundation."
District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said the new program will provide a recovery-focused environment.
"These beds represent a new chapter for people suffering from mental health and substance use disorders who have been unable to secure long term placements in supportive, recovery focused environments," Mandelman said. "I hope the opening of this program will be a down payment on much larger expansions of long-term behavioral health placements at the local, regional, and state level."
“I know firsthand the importance of having a supportive and stable environment during the recovery process, and that’s one of the reasons why I strongly support these new step-down beds on Treasure Island,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “These beds will provide a crucial bridge between inpatient care and returning to the community, offering a safe and structured environment where people can continue to receive the help and support they need to overcome their struggles and resume their everyday lives."
SFDPH opened the 20-bed SoMa RISE Drug Sobering Center and the 75-bed Minna Project last year.
How To Find Help
Updates on San Francisco’s expansion of behavioral health beds is available at https://sf.gov/residential-care-and-treatment.
SFDPH provides a daily update of its available mental health and substance use treatment beds here: www.findtreatmentsf.org.
San Franciscans who need help seeking treatment services and shelter can call the city's 24-hour Behavioral Health Access Center phone line at 415-255-3737.
To meet with city staff in person, you can visit an Access Center at 1380 Howard Street, weekdays between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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