Encompass Community Services is proud to announce the official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony has been scheduled for the new Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center, a substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health outpatient and residential treatment facility in South Santa Cruz County.

The celebration will take place on Friday, June 12, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the new center’s location: 161 Miles Lane in Watsonville, CA. The event will feature a program of speakers, followed by the ceremonial ribbon cutting, light refreshments, and guided tours of the new campus, including both the outpatient and residential treatment facilities. 

The Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center represents a significant investment in the health and wellbeing of the community, particularly for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured individuals who must rely on limited capacity at Medi-Cal certified programs. Increasing access to trauma-informed, high-quality care for individuals and families seeking mental health and substance use recovery services is especially urgent for our historically underserved and predominantly Latinx community of Watsonville. 

“We are thrilled to open the doors of the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center to the South County community,” said Kim Morrison, CEO of Encompass Community Services. “This facility reflects years of planning, partnership, and commitment to expanding access to life-saving care. We know that when people have access to treatment and support, they can heal, recover, and thrive. Our Sí Se Puede program has a rich history of serving residents for more than 20 years, and we cannot wait to build on its success.” 

Encompass has served Santa Cruz County for over 50 years, providing behavioral health care, substance use recovery, and housing support services to thousands of individuals and families each year. Encompass provides integrated services for co-occurring SUD and mental health disorders resulting in comprehensive, individualized “whole person” care. Encompass provides the tools, therapies, resources, and medications to meet each individual where they are, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. 

“This is a proud and hopeful moment for Encompass and for our entire community,” said Elaine Johnson, Chair of the Encompass Board of Trustees. “The Sí Se Puede Center stands as a testament to what is possible when we invest in people, partnerships, and long-term solutions for community health. We are excited to see the positive impact this facility will have for generations to come.” 

The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce, are facilitating the ribbon-cutting portion of the program. Encompass is sincerely grateful to have received funding for the project through public and private grants from the California Department of Health Care Services (via the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program grant), Central California Alliance for Health, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, The City of Watsonville, and Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, as well as generous donations from community philanthropists. To support the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center, donations can be made at https://encompasscs.org/donate. 

For more information, please visit www.encompasscs.org or email [email protected].