10 Nov Pittsburg Has Concerns About, ‘High Hopes’ for Coming Mental Health and Recovery Center

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

Pittsburg’s incoming mental health and recovery center is bringing the county’s first sobering center and plans to fill a gap in youth services to East County residents, but the project doesn’t come without community concerns. 

One of three Contra Costa County projects supported by $98 million in state funding, the project is slated to be next to the Pittsburg Health Center at Los Medanos College and split two stories between mental health outpatient services, a detox program and a sobering center. 

“Mental health and substance abuse: They’re both illnesses. Our entire country continues to take that very lightly. We don’t have programs that really work,” City Council member Angelica Lopez said after the council received a presentation on the facility at Monday’s meeting. “I hope this facility will be operated not on a one-year plan, but that it will really be a rehabilitation center.” 

Suzanne Tavano, director of the county’s behavioral health services, said the program offerings at the project, currently known as the Los Medanos Recovery Center, were informed by community needs. 

“What we were really hearing from youth [in East Contra Costa] is that they needed more supports around substance use … and we were also hearing from others that it was just taking too long to wait,” said Tavano.

The sobering center would include up to 12 beds, with stays not lasting longer than 24 hours. For the detox program, 16 beds would be available. 

The building would also act as a satellite office for A3 Crisis Response to increase response times to Antioch and Pittsburg.

But Lopez and a couple of community members raised concerns about the facility, which would be located just a short way from the Delta Landing housing facility. 

Business owner Wolfgang Croskey said that the county already mismanages the Delta Landing facility and others that have created problems. 

“This program is not going to service [residents] the way they need to be serviced,” said Croskey. “I encourage us to push back and get a design that will bring more success to people who do truly need help.” 

Lopez, also a mental health advocate, pointed to what she said has been an increase in crime associated with the Delta Landing facility and potential effects on economic development.   

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“You have that entire corridor from Delta Landing to this new project; it’s less than a mile,” she said. “We have many businesses wondering, ‘Where will that leave us?’ I don’t know.” 

Lopez said she does have “high hopes” that the project won’t be just another place for people to “dump their loved ones without any true follow-up.”

In addition to security for the building, Tavano said there have been success stories in the county, but more can be done.

“We’re not doing enough for enough people,” she said. “I know that people get well with the right care and support, and that’s what we’ll strive for.” 

The project could be completed between March 2028 and 2029, Tavano said.