San Luis Obispo County’s Behavioral Health Department has received more than $21 million from the State of California to expand local mental health and substance use services through a new project known as Pathways Home.
The funding, awarded through the state’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and backed by Proposition 1, will allow the County to acquire and renovate a Paso Robles facility dedicated to serving both youth and adults. State officials emphasized that this round of grants prioritized projects ready to move forward quickly, with more than 100 initiatives funded statewide to broaden access to behavioral health care.
The North County project is designed to ease long‑standing service gaps and reduce the need for clients to travel hours away for treatment. Plans include building a 16‑bed psychiatric health unit, creating the County’s first adult crisis residential program, and establishing the region’s first youth crisis residential program.
These additions are expected to relieve pressure on the existing psychiatric facility in San Luis Obispo, which frequently operates near full capacity and currently only accepts adults.
County Behavioral Health Director Dr. Star Graber noted that the expansion will help ensure timely access to care, especially for residents in the northern part of the county who have historically been sent far from home during moments of crisis.
Hundreds of local Medi-Cal members required inpatient psychiatric care outside the county in the past year, totaling several thousand out-of-area bed days.
Officials say that with recent changes to state law expanding criteria for psychiatric holds, the demand for services will likely continue to grow.
In addition to improving client care, the new Paso Robles center is anticipated to bring economic benefits through job creation and reduced spending on long-distance transportation, hospitalizations, and public safety responses.
County leaders stress that keeping community members closer to home will support better continuity of care and lessen the strain on families navigating mental health emergencies.
A public presentation with further details is scheduled for the Paso Robles City Council on February 3.
