Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger today celebrated the grand opening of three new County-led mental health and crisis-care facilities in the Antelope Valley—the largest local behavioral-health investment in the region’s history. The ribbon-cutting marks the completion of a multi-year effort to build the community’s first fully integrated continuum of mental-health treatment for children, youth, and adults.
“These new facilities are a gamechanger for the Antelope Valley,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “For the first time, children, families, and adults experiencing a mental-health crisis won’t have to leave their community to find help. This campus provides meaningful alternatives to unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and it will help ensure that individuals struggling with mental illness are stabilized, supported, and kept off the streets.”
The newly opened campus includes the Adult Crisis Residential Treatment Program, the Children’s and Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit, and a new Mental Health Hub for children currently located nearby at the High Desert Regional Health Center. Together, the facilities represent a $43 million investment supported by nearly $39.7 million from the State’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and $3.3 million from Mental Health Services Act Capital Facilities funds.
Dr. Lisa Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, also spoke at the ceremony and underscored the significance of the new facilities. “What we are opening today is person-centered care on one unified campus,” she said. “This is a compassionate, modern continuum of care designed to foster recovery, stability, and renewed hope. Every person deserves dignity, safety, and access to the services that help them heal. That is exactly what this campus delivers.”
Today’s ribbon-cutting also included a guided tour of the facilities, where Supervisor Barger and attending stakeholders viewed the youth-friendly crisis stabilization areas and the therapeutic residential environment designed for adults needing short-term intensive care.
According to County public works officials, the project was completed 20 percent under budget, and 45 percent of the construction workforce consisted of local workers. This project was a significant boost for the regional economy.
The Mental Health Hub will expand annual youth services from approximately 850 clients to more than 2,650, a greater than 400 percent increase in capacity. The new Crisis Stabilization Unit will provide 24/7 care for children ages 3 to 12, allowing families to access developmentally appropriate treatment close to home rather than traveling more than 50 miles. The Adult Crisis Residential Treatment Program introduces the region’s first local alternative to mental-health hospitalization, offering 16 beds for individuals who need more than a few hours of stabilization but not an inpatient stay.
While touring the new facilities, Supervisor Barger reflected on the design elements she viewed while touring the new spaces. “Walking through the buildings this morning, I was struck by how bright and filled with natural light they are,” Supervisor Barger commented. “That light is both architectural and symbolic. From top to bottom, this new campus is about supporting mental wellness and creating warm, welcoming environments for the people who will rely on these services.”
The County has also integrated arts and healing throughout the new campus. Visitors will encounter 24 onsite artworks created by eight Los Angeles-based artists, curated to enhance the therapeutic experience and support a sense of connection and calm.