Shasta County Health and Human Services Director Christy Coleman has provided a letter of support for a $150 million state grant application to fund the construction of the True North Behavioral Health Campus.
Coleman had opposed the project in October during a contentious board of supervisors meeting called by Supervisor Kevin Crye. In that meeting, the health director expressed concern about the potential administrative and financial burdens posed by the facility.
Crye, meanwhile, compared supporting the campus to entertaining “evil.” He and two other commissioners voted to support a letter opposing the facility’s application for state funding, prompting protests from residents.
Supporters of the facility said it would provide bed space for those experiencing a mental health crisis and create hundreds of jobs.
Coleman said in a statement her opposition was based on “partial information.”
“Over the past several weeks, my team and I completed a deeper review of the financial models, payor mix, Medi-Cal impact, staffing implications and regional commitments related to the campus,” Coleman said.
She said the True North project would keep clients closer to home and allow the county to use federal matching funds for behavioral health care.
Arch Collaborative facilitated for-profit Signature Healthcare Services’ application for project funds through California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program.
CEO Kimberly Johnson said her team met with Coleman over the last few weeks to discuss her concerns.
“In many ways, they were the most productive conversations that we've had,” she said. “I believe that there was a decision that was made to just ensure that politics stayed out of the room, and the priority was the service to our community.”
Johnson said the back-and-forth over support for the campus shouldn’t hurt the grant application.
“The state isn't going to award or deny an application like this based on political disagreements or noise,” she said.
Supervisor Chris Kelstrom, who had voted against the project, also changed course and submitted a letter of support. Shasta County Public Health Officer James Mu also offered his approval.
In a statement, Crye called Coleman’s letter a “conditional letter of support.”
“[W]e have received additional guidance from the state regarding this project, which indicated that the county would now not be obligated financially for the success of the project,” he said. “These were key sticking points with me and community members in ensuring that we are meeting the needs of our residents.”
He thanked Coleman for her efforts to protect taxpayer dollars but said he still does not support the current version of the facility. He welcomed further dialogue.
The funding award announcement is expected by spring.
