The council’s actions stem from a 2022 directive to develop a behavioral health strategy, prompted by increasing demands for mental health care
The Santa Monica City Council has approved a series of measures aimed at addressing gaps in behavioral health services for both adults and youths, following a yearslong effort to assess community needs amid rising mental health and substance use challenges. The decision, made during a meeting on Feb. 25, comes as the city grapples with untreated behavioral health issues exacerbated by regional service shortages and a strained workforce.
The council’s actions stem from a 2022 directive to develop a behavioral health strategy, prompted by increasing demands for mental health care, substance use treatment, and crisis intervention. That year, the city enlisted Initium Health to survey residents and analyze local data, identifying adult crisis care and youth behavioral services as critical priorities. A subsequent report from Capstone Solutions Consulting Group, presented last month, highlighted deficiencies in intensive behavioral health services across Santa Monica and the broader Service Planning Area 5, which includes nearby cities like Malibu and Culver City.
For adults, the council endorsed a “Decentralized Expansion” approach, rejecting more centralized, campus-based models due to real estate and budget constraints. This strategy focuses on incrementally adding services like crisis stabilization and substance use treatment as opportunities arise. The assessment found that existing regional services, often managed by Los Angeles County, are fragmented and frequently at capacity, leaving many without adequate care. Navigating the mix of public and private providers has proven difficult for individuals in crisis, with no single point of access available.
For children and teens, the council approved expansions to address a lack of accessible mental health and substance use support. New mental health specialists will be added to city-run after-school programs like the Police Activities League and Virginia Avenue Park, where staff have reported rising emotional and developmental challenges among participants. The city will also boost funding for local nonprofits, including Family Service of Santa Monica, to provide affordable youth substance use treatment—a service currently unavailable locally—and expand early childhood and youth resource programs to handle larger caseloads.
These moves follow data showing troubling trends among Santa Monica’s youth, with 38% of 11th graders reporting persistent hopelessness and 15% contemplating suicide in the past year, according to the latest Youth Wellbeing Report Card. Substance use is also a concern, with 40% of 11th graders admitting to recent illicit drug or alcohol use, and a 2022 incident involving three teens hospitalized after taking fentanyl-laced ecstasy underscoring the risks.
