California opened the Ritter Center in San Rafael, the first behavioral health facility funded by voter-approved Proposition 1, marking a milestone in the state's expansion of mental health and addiction treatment services. The facility offers 1,412 outpatient treatment slots and is projected to serve more than 7,000 individuals annually.
Prop 1, which voters approved in 2024, has already delivered 102 percent of the promised residential treatment beds—6,948 beds—and 104 percent of the promised outpatient treatment slots—27,868 slots, according to the state. The Ritter Center provides community mental health services, office-based opioid treatment, and outpatient substance use disorder treatment.
The facility is the first of 176 projects across 334 behavioral health facilities funded through Prop 1's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program bond. The state expects 13 more facilities funded through the program to open by the end of 2026, with all construction complete by 2028.
The opening comes as California reported a second consecutive year of declining homelessness, with unsheltered homelessness down nearly 13 percent since 2024, according to the state.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the facility represents progress on a commitment made upon taking office in 2019 to create a strategy to move people off the streets and into housing and treatment. "We now have more than 100% of the beds and treatment slots we promised to voters, ahead of schedule," he said.
The state also announced $146 million in additional funding for three behavioral health projects in Los Angeles and Shasta counties.