REDDING, Calif., September 22, 2025 – A coalition of healthcare, nonprofit, and county partners has advanced a proposal for a regional behavioral health campus to transform care in the North State. Guided by the Shasta Health Assessment and Redesign Collaborative (SHARC) and led by Arch Collaborative, the application is moving forward with Signature Healthcare - a nationally recognized leader in high-acuity behavioral health - as the lead applicant and primary operator of the proposed campus.
“Signature Healthcare is honored to expand into the rural North State. We are committed to supporting true behavioral health transformation, growing the workforce, and ensuring those who need care can access it closer to home.” — Eric Kim, Senior VP of Strategy and Planning, Signature Healthcare
The proposed behavioral health campus will help keep individuals experiencing behavioral health crises out of emergency rooms and jails by providing rapid triage, crisis stabilization, detoxification, complex and urgent care beds for all ages, and inpatient psychiatric care. In parallel, SHARC, Signature Healthcare, and Arch Collaborative will proactively work with counties and stakeholders to develop a robust strategic plan that includes workforce development, return-to-county policies, and transportation networks to ensure the proposed campus is part of a larger coordinated system designed to reduce local strain on emergency rooms and law enforcement, expand capacity, and ensure access to high-quality behavioral health care for the rural and frontier North State.
“Law enforcement has unfortunately become the default response for people in behavioral health crisis, when what they often need is treatment, not custody. This project will ease the strain on our jail, reduce the number of people booked, and get deputies back on the streets instead of waiting in emergency rooms. It’s the kind of solution our community has needed for a long time.” – Sheriff Michael Johnson
The proposal will be submitted under the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), a funding opportunity created by Proposition 1 and approved by California voters in 2024. If awarded, the project will expand access, reduce reliance on jails and emergency rooms, and ensure a robust crisis response in order to bring long-term stability to children, families, and adults across the North State.
“This effort brings together the strengths of healthcare, nonprofit, and government partners to address behavioral health infrastructure needs in Shasta County,” said Christy Coleman, Director of Shasta County HHSA. “Thank you to all the entities collaborating to bring meaningful, community-driven behavioral health solutions to our community.”
“This has the potential to be a truly transformative step in making Shasta County one of the healthiest places in California. Thank you, SHARC and County leaders who are doing the hard work to make this a possibility.” - Shasta County District 4 Supervisor Matt Plummer
Shasta County is home to the only Level II Trauma Center, which serves a 35,000-square-mile area, making it a central hub for emergency services, inclusive of individuals experiencing behavioral health crisis. With California’s SB43, which expands the definition of “gravely disabled” beginning in 2026, Proposition 1 broadening access to an already limited number of mental health beds, and Medicaid cuts threatening rural hospitals, pressure on emergency departments, law enforcement, and county systems is expected to intensify.
“Our community deserves a coordinated, thoughtful approach to mental health and substance use care,” said Todd Smith, SHARC Chair and CEO of Mercy Medical Center Redding. “This effort brings together the strengths of healthcare, nonprofit, and government partners to build something lasting for the North State.”
Key Facts
• SB43, which expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include people with untreated serious mental illness or substance use disorders, was signed into law on October 10, 2023. Implementation must begin January 1, 2026, and is expected to substantially increase pressure on emergency departments, extending wait times and bed availability.
• SB1238 is a follow-up bill that was created with the explicit intent to relieve pressure on emergency departments and jails created by SB43.
• This is the final opportunity for funding through BHCIP.
• In FY 2024–25, more than 400 residents were sent out of Shasta County for behavioral health care due to a lack of resources available locally.
• In FY 2023–24 Mercy Medical Center Redding’s emergency room treated more than 1,700 patients in behavioral health crisis from 135 zip codes through its emergency department.
• In 2024, more than 2,000 individuals needed detox services while in Shasta County’s jail.
“Having worked in this space for decades, I can say this kind of collaboration is rare and powerful,” said Dean Germano, Board Chair of Arch Collaborative, Vice Chair of Partnership Health Plan, and former CEO of Shasta Community Health Center. “Arch is honored to help lead the planning process, and I have full confidence in the team’s ability to help bring this vision to life.”
About SHARC
Since 2009, the Shasta Health Assessment and Redesign Collaborative (SHARC) has led community health initiatives in Shasta County. SHARC brings together health providers, county agencies, and nonprofit leaders to improve care access, promote health equity, and respond to community needs with collaborative, system-wide solutions.
About Arch Collaborative
Arch Collaborative works to ensure trauma-informed, community-based services are available to vulnerable populations across Northern California. The organization specializes in building regional partnerships, securing government funding, and developing sustainable programs that reflect the needs of rural communities.
About Signature Healthcare
Founded in 2000 by a psychiatrist, Signature Healthcare has grown into one of the nation’s largest behavioral health systems with 19 facilities across five states. In California, it operates nine hospitals across six counties - the state’s largest network of freestanding psychiatric hospitals - providing inpatient, residential, restore-to-competency programs for justice-involved adults, and partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services for adults, children, and youth. More than half of its patients statewide are covered by Medi-Cal or county-funded sources, underscoring its role as a safety net partner. In the past four years, Signature has opened three new facilities, demonstrating its ability to navigate state and county systems efficiently. For the North State, Signature is contributing the required 25 percent match and committing to proactive workforce development from the outset.
Media Contact:
Sarah Peery
Chief Communications and Program Administration Officer
media@archcollaborative.org
530.917.5270
