SAN FRANCISCO—On April 24, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the completion of a new Stabilization Center located at 822 Geary Street. This is a property the City of San Francisco obtained in 2021. In February 2024, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, voted 10-1 in favor of Mayor Lurie’s Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance. 10-1 moving San Francisco one step closer to the Police-Friendly 24/7 Stabilization Center.
The new facility is expected to open its doors on April 28. It will be staffed by doctors, nurses, and behavioral health specialists. The plan is to have teams who provide quick access to much-need care including transportation for treatment, behavioral health services, and shelter.
The following information came directly from a press release on Mayor Lurie’s webpage:
“Run by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the dedicated behavioral health facility will provide a safe and effective alternative to hospital emergency departments for first responders, street teams, and members of law enforcement connecting people in crisis to urgent care, while allowing those frontline workers to get back on the streets more quickly. It also adds critical capacity to the city’s fully saturated interim housing network, representing progress towards Mayor Lurie’s commitment to add 1,500 interim housing beds to offer people on the street a better option.”
Mayor Lurie made the following statement regarding the new facility:
“When we talk to people on the streets, and ask them to come inside, we need to bring them somewhere with the professionals and the resources to get them the help they need. That’s exactly what this 24/7 police-friendly stabilization center will be, and I am proud to be opening it.
The city’s approach to this crisis has not been working. We are charting a new path, and this 24/7 police-friendly stabilization center marks another critical step forward.”
The facility will be operated by Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc. This Stabilization Center will be one of 29 mental health facilities located in the state of California. The staff is trained to deal with those with underlying conditions including but not limited to, those who are suicidal, have panic attacks, and severe anxiety,
Dan Tsai, the Director of Public Health made the following statement regarding the new center.
“This facility is not just a place for stabilization, but a critical part of our broader strategy to ensure that every individual in need can access the right care at the right time. By offering 24/7 emergency support, we are strengthening our city’s capacity to respond to crises and help people on the path to recovery.”
Multiple other community leaders spoke out in favor of the new plan to “Break the Cycle” of chronic drug use and the need to be able to provide urgent care for those in crisis. Their statements and more details may be found on Mayor Lurie’s government webpage.
