Encompass Community Services
We're thrilled to announce that Encompass Community Services has been awarded $3.9 million through the first round of the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Bond funding, as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic investment in behavioral health care across California.
This critical funding was announced by the Governor on May 12th as part of California’s statewide effort to expand behavioral health treatment and housing for individuals with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders. You can read the full press release here.
Encompass will use this award to add withdrawal management to our comprehensive list of substance use disorder (SUD) services planned at our new Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center in Watsonville. The funding will increase Santa Cruz County's residential withdrawal management capacity by 50%, filling a critical gap in local substance use treatment services, especially for individuals living in south Santa Cruz County.
Impact of this New Funding
The BHCIP funds will allow Encompass to add eight new medically-supervised withdrawal management beds to our Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center. Withdrawal from substances, referred to as “detoxification”, can be dangerous and even fatal without proper medical supervision. Until now, individuals in South Santa Cruz County seeking detox services have been forced to rely on local hospitals or travel long distances to access these services, which also have limited capacity, making treatment inaccessible for many. There are also currently no bilingual withdrawal management services available in all of Santa Cruz County. This dearth of withdrawal management beds prohibits community members from entering essential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, as many SUD programs are not equipped to accept new clients until they have completed detoxification. These new beds will allow Encompass to offer a safe, trauma-informed environment where clients can begin their recovery journey close to home, surrounded by qualified, compassionate staff.
Why This Funding is Critical to our Community
According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration), 68% of people who complete drug and alcohol withdrawal management programs report success in their treatment. At Encompass, we know that withdrawal management is not only the first step—it’s often the most critical one. Without detox, many individuals are unable to access long-term residential or outpatient care, leading to cycles of relapse and instability.
Clients in this new detox program will receive comprehensive services supporting their recovery including medication support, telehealth psychiatry, group and individual counseling, care coordination, life skills support, and connections to family and community resources.
The average stay for clients in the program is projected to be 5-12 days, and clients will have seamless access to continued care in our adjacent outpatient and residential SUD treatment programs on the same campus. This means sustained, continuous recovery support for our most at-risk populations.
This project prioritizes populations most impacted by the behavioral health crisis, including adult transition-age youth (TAY) ages 18-24, justice-involved individuals, and people experiencing homelessness.
The Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center
We broke ground on the Encompass Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center last June and we hope to open sometime next year. Having needed resources in Watsonville, a historically underserved and 80% Latino/x community, this Center is critical to expanding access to services for all. You can learn more about the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center, subscribe to receive project updates, and donate to help our cause at sisepuedecenter.org.
Thank You to Our Partners
We extend our deepest gratitude to the California Department of Health Care Services and the Governor’s Office for their vision and commitment to behavioral health. We also thank our local government and community partners for continuing to support our mission to provide access to quality mental health and SUD services for every member of our community.
Stay tuned for more updates as this exciting project moves forward—and thank you for your support in helping us build a healthier, more compassionate Santa Cruz County.