Hospitals across our region continue to witness firsthand the profound impact behavioral health has on the well-being of our communities. The findings in our upcoming behavioral health environmental scans echo what we hear regularly from care providers and community partners: Demand for behavioral health services continues to grow even as workforce shortages, limited treatment availability, bed closures, and care coordination challenges persist.
At the same time, there are promising signs of progress.
In San Diego County, adult suicide rates have decreased over the past five years — a meaningful indicator of the collective impact of prevention and early intervention efforts. Collaborative partnerships between hospitals, the county, and community organizations are strengthening crisis response systems and expanding treatment capacity to meet growing community needs.
In Imperial County, we are celebrating the launch of the UC San Diego Psychiatry Residency Program, created in collaboration with Imperial County Behavioral Health Services. This new program is a critical step toward addressing local workforce shortages by training the next generation of psychiatrists, while advancing innovation and improving access to high-quality care in the region.
As we look to the future, behavioral health will remain a top priority in both San Diego and Imperial counties. From timely access to care, to more robust step-down and residential treatment options, to greater integration of behavioral health into primary care and the development of a sustainable, well-supported workforce — the goal HASD&IC, hospital members, and community partners share is clear: To strengthen every link in the behavioral health continuum.
Next month, we invite you to join us at the 2025 HASD&IC Annual Meeting. This year’s meeting will bring together hospital leaders, policymakers, and community partners to explore behavioral health through the lens of collaboration and innovation. Our featured panel will examine emerging state policies, local responses from county leaders, and the evolving landscape of behavioral health service delivery. We hope you’ll be part of this important conversation. Together, we can continue to build a behavioral health system that reaches people where they are and delivers the care they need — when and where they need it most.
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