San Benito County officials put shovels to the ground at a March 10 ceremony celebrating the construction of a new facility for the Behavioral Health department. Attendees included department staff members and the San Benito County Board of Supervisors.
The new, 17,212-square-foot facility is expected to open in March 2021 and will be located behind the current behavioral health offices at 1131 San Felipe Road in Hollister. The building will include 22 clinician offices, 11 substance abuse counselor offices, 18 case manager spaces and 12 office assistant spaces. All areas of the facility will have natural light.
The building’s estimated cost is $14.5 million, with 4% being paid from the county’s general fund. The other 96% is expected to come through the Mental Health Services Act, which provides state funding and training to ensure whole person care and mental health care throughout California.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Supervisor Jim Gillio recognized “the folks inside the building” for getting the work done to make the facility happen.
Behavioral Health Director Alan Yamamoto said part of the Mental Health Service Act requires the building to be workable for at least 20 years and that it must be owned by the county. He added that the current building was not designed for behavioral health and that the department had outgrown it, “converting closets into offices.”
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