If Shasta doesn’t want the True North Behavioral Health Campus, Tehama might

At least two supervisors from Tehama County are excited about the economic and social benefits a regional behavioral health campus could bring to their community.

They publicly discussed the issue at Tuesday’s Tehama County board meeting, noting how recent opposition to the proposed True North behavioral facility by Shasta officials might lead to a new opportunity for Tehama.

The idea was introduced by Tehama Supervisor Rob Burroughs, who asked at the end of the meeting if Tehama would entertain a presentation from True North collaborators to learn more about the proposal. He said he hopes those behind the project will consider building the facility in Tehama to provide an economic advantage to the community. If the state awards funds to the project, True North is expected to bring 200 new healthcare positions to the North State.

“That is an opportunity for us to move forward,” Burroughs said to other supervisors, indicating that he hopes such a facility would also alleviate stress on the streets of Tehama by providing professional mental health services that are much needed in the community.

“They’re looking for a hub that’s in the middle of all of the counties,” Burroughs noted of collaborators, mentioning how such a facility could complement the county’s other work. “I think that we should use this as a capability to bring funding into our community and help our people that need the help.”

Nonprofit Arch Collaborative and for-profit Signature Healthcare Services are partnering on the grant proposal for True North, which was submitted to the state earlier this week. They’re asking for $150 million in Prop. 1 funds as part of round two of what’s known as the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP).

If awarded, BCHIP funds would be paired with a $50 million investment from Signature and used to build a behavioral health facility currently envisioned to be sited in the City of Shasta Lake. Once built, the facility would be owned and operated by Signature for at least 30 years.

Collaborators behind the True North proposal received significant last-minute pushback about the idea last week when County board Chair Kevin Crye and HHSA director Christy Coleman both issued letters of opposition to the project, which were discussed at a special supervisor meeting on Oct. 24, just days before the grant application was due. 

Coleman’s concerns about the project were not backed by specific data or evidence. She said broadly that the numbers and kinds of beds being proposed for funding did not match local need and that she was unsure to what extent the facility might indirectly increase the county’s costs over the 30-year period. 

Supervisors Chris Kelstrom and Corkey Harmon, voted to support Crye and Coleman’s opposition to the project. They did so against the vociferous objections of Supervisors Matt Plummer and Allen Long, who said the project should receive the county’s support.

Collaborators turned in their proposal without the county’s support this past Tuesday, announcing the submission at a protest held at the county’s administrative building by those who support the project.

The Tehama board’s discussion the same day made it clear they’ve been watching the politicking in Shasta closely. Supervisor Matt Hansen responded to Burrough’s statement of interest in the project, saying the Tehama County HHSA director “already has her ear to the ground and is working on that,” something the county’s CAO Gabe Hydrick confirmed for supervisors.

Hyrdrick said Tehama HHSA director Jayme Bottke had already suggested the idea and was working on contacting collaborators behind the True North proposal for a presentation, saying the topic would come back before the Tehama board soon.

Arch Collaborative CEO Kimberly Johnson responded to the news by telling Shasta Scout she welcomes the opportunity to present to Tehama County and appreciates the supervisors’ commitment to ensuring residents can access mental health care closer to home. 

“Their efforts reflect the dedication and resolve of the rural North State to expand access to care,” Johnson wrote by text, “something we’ve been continually inspired by throughout this campus proposal effort.”

Award announcements for round two of BHCIP are not expected until spring. And if the True North proposal is awarded grant funds, there are still hurdles related to City of Shasta Lake zoning and planning requirements that will have to be overcome in order to move forward with the facility in Shasta, Johnson said. 

The campus is designed to address urgent gaps in local care. Signature hopes to build and operate a facility with 72 beds and an additional 32 client chairs, focused on preventing individuals who are experiencing mental health and substance use crises from “languishing” in emergency rooms and jails as they await stabilization, detoxification and treatment.

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