Sonoma County to break ground on new youth behavioral health campus at Los Guilicos

Sonoma County officials will break ground on a new youth behavioral health campus at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 322 Hood House Drive in Santa Rosa. The facility will expand access to urgently needed mental health and substance use treatment for adolescents, young adults and their families. Members of the media are invited to attend.

“This campus represents a meaningful investment in the health, safety and future of Sonoma County’s youth,” said Rebecca Hermosillo, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Our kids and their families deserve access to compassionate, age-appropriate care close to home. By expanding these critical services, we are helping families find support when they need it most.”

The groundbreaking ceremony will mark the formal launch of the new facility, which will bring residential and outpatient services together in one location and strengthen the continuum of behavioral health care available to young people in Sonoma County.

“This campus will give young people access to different levels of care in one coordinated setting, from outpatient counseling to residential treatment and crisis support,” said Nolan Sullivan, director of the Sonoma County Department of Health Services. “That continuum is essential. It will allow us to respond earlier, provide care tailored to each young person’s needs and support families throughout the treatment and recovery process.”

The project represents a significant County investment in compassionate, age-appropriate care close to home. By expanding treatment capacity and addressing gaps in the local behavioral health system, the campus will help young people, and their families, obtain support when they need it most.

“The design of this facility is closely aligned with the services that will be delivered to clients,” said Johannes Hoevertsz, director of Sonoma Public Infrastructure. “Our responsibility is to implement the County’s vision of a safe, welcoming and durable campus that supports effective care. Reaching the groundbreaking is an important milestone in that work.”

The facility will encompass more than 10,000 square feet and include two separate residential treatment wings, each designed to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for adolescents ages 12 to 18. One wing will provide eight beds for substance use disorder treatment. The second will offer six beds for behavioral health crisis residential treatment.

The campus will also include a dedicated outpatient substance use treatment area serving adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 25. The outpatient space will support a continuum of care through individual counseling offices, group treatment rooms, family counseling space and accessible restrooms for clients and staff.

The Sonoma County Department of Health Services secured state approval to pursue the project and will oversee the behavioral health and substance use treatment programs offered at the campus. Sonoma Public Infrastructure is managing delivery of the capital project, with Unger Construction Co. serving as the general contractor, Argonaut Constructors offering contracted support, and BA providing architectural design services.

Early construction activities are already underway. Site clearing and tree removal have been completed, and excavation is scheduled to begin soon. The campus will significantly expand Sonoma County’s ability to provide timely, comprehensive and developmentally appropriate care to young people experiencing behavioral health or substance use challenges.

When complete, the campus will provide:

• Eight residential beds for adolescent substance use disorder treatment
• Six residential beds for adolescent behavioral health crisis treatment
• Outpatient substance use treatment for adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 25
• Individual, group and family counseling spaces
• A coordinated, purpose-built setting designed to support a continuum of care

MEDIA RSVP REQUIRED: Members of the media planning to attend must RSVP to Diana Callaway at diana.callaway@sonomacounty.gov or 707-565-2847 by Tuesday, Aug. 25, to ensure sufficient personal protective equipment is available. The event will take place at an active construction site. For safety reasons, guests without the required PPE will not be admitted.

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Media Contact:

Sheri Cardo, Communications Specialist, Department of Health Services
Sheri.cardo@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-8619

Diana Callaway, Communications Manager, Public Infrastructure
diana.callaway@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-2847