RUHS Behavioral Health Receives Two State Grants for Wellness Work in Riverside County
Monday, May 19
Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health (RUHS-BH) was awarded more than $333 million in state funding through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) to expand access to critical mental health and substance use services in Riverside County.
The funding announced Monday, May 12, will support two transformative projects that address long-standing service gaps — especially for children and youth — and significantly increase local access to acute behavioral health care. The grants are among the first distributed under Proposition 1, a bond measure approved by voters in 2024 to finance behavioral health treatment beds, among other needs.
“We are extremely proud to receive these funds to expand behavioral health in Riverside County as a whole,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, Chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. “We appreciate this incredible support from the State of California. We advocated with Governor Newsom for this measure, knowing the great need we have for high-quality behavioral health services and the continuum of care.”
The projects:
- RUHS Behavioral Health Wellness Center – supported by a $184 million state investment, this pioneering 100-bed inpatient psychiatric facility will serve adults, adolescents, and, for the first time in Riverside County, children ages 12 and under. The center will expand access to acute mental health care, reduce strain on hospital emergency departments and keep more individuals connected to care in their own community. The center will be located on the RUHS-Medical Center campus in
Moreno Valley. - Harmony Haven Children & Youth Wellness Center – A $149.7 million state grant will fund behavioral health services at Harmony Haven for foster children up to age 18. Services will include the county’s first 30-bed Adolescent Residential Substance Use Disorder (SUD) facility, a 16-bed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, a 15-station Mental Health Urgent Care, and an outpatient clinic for behavioral health and substance use services. The services will be located on the same campus as the county’s Harmony Haven Children & Youth Center in Beaumont, which includes an emergency transitional shelter that provides 24-hour care and supervision for displaced youth.
“We are grateful for the tremendous investments in health for Riverside County residents. The designation of these funds will make access to compassionate behavioral health care a powerful reality for individuals in need,” said Fifth District Riverside County Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez.
Additional behavioral health services are needed to serve Riverside County’s growing population of almost 2.5 million. Residents, especially children, endure delays or are often forced to seek care outside Riverside County.
“When someone is in crisis, delays in care can worsen their condition and separate them from their family and support system,” said Dr. Matthew Chang, RUHS-BH Director. “These grants are a lifeline. The Wellness Center and Harmony Haven will help us bring timely, compassionate care to the people who need it most—right here in Riverside County.”
Proposition 1 expands California’s behavioral health infrastructure with a goal of building modern, community-based systems of care. The Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), administered by the California Department of Health Care Services, is a key mechanism for distributing funding to counties and organizations addressing urgent needs in mental health and substance use care.
For services and more information, visit RUHealth.org.
