Santa Cruz County’s Behavioral Health Department requires more than $18 million annually from the county’s General Fund reserves, according to a new Civil Grand Jury report.
The report said county officials lack key financial, operational, and performance data needed to assess the effectiveness and value of behavioral health programs.
It also noted that a Board of Supervisors-mandated financial plan, due in December 2025, is only 5% complete.
The Grand Jury identified poor coordination between the county’s Behavioral Health Department and the county jail, where more than half of inmates experience moderate to severe behavioral health needs.
The report found there is no integrated data system to identify inmates already receiving behavioral health services, contributing to fragmented care, repeated crises, and higher incarceration rates.
The county spends nearly $12 million each year on jail health care, or about $100 per inmate per day, underscoring the financial impact of the lack of coordination, the report said.
The Grand Jury recommends completing the overdue financial plan, improving oversight of federal funding, adopting value-based funding strategies, strengthening cost and quality analysis, and integrating behavioral health and jail data systems to improve care and reduce long-term costs.