Hayward, CA, May 12 – Bay Area Community Services (BACS) is thrilled to announce a $32 million award from the State of California to build the Waypoint Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (Waypoint MHRC) — a groundbreaking new facility that will dramatically expand intensive mental health care in Alameda County.

Funded by the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), this award is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic commitment to overhaul California’s behavioral health system. Administered by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), BHCIP invests in ready-to-launch projects that create real alternatives to jails, emergency rooms, and homelessness. The Waypoint MHRC award comes from BHCIP’s Round 1 “Launch Ready” funding, which supports projects that are prepared to break ground and expand behavioral health infrastructure across the state. Alameda County and the City of Hayward are major partners in this award and it would not be possible without their leadership.

“Thanks to Governor Newsom and our state leaders, this investment will help thousands of Californians break out of crisis and into recovery,” said Jovan Yglecias, Chief Operating Officer at BACS. “Waypoint MHRC will be a place of healing and safety for people with the most complex needs — people who have been left out of the system for too long. This is what it means to build hope.”

Waypoint MHRC will bring at least 83 beds of secure, recovery-focused mental health treatment to Hayward, offering life-changing services in a purpose-built campus designed for healing, dignity, and hope.

The need is urgent. Fewer than one-third of California counties currently have an MHRC. A 2022 statewide needs assessment identified MHRCs as one of the most critically lacking services. Alameda County — one of the hardest-hit regions in the state — has among the longest psychiatric hospital stays and highest rates of 5150s (involuntary holds), with far too many individuals cycling between jails, emergency departments, and the streets because they cannot access the intensive support they need.

Waypoint MHRC will change that. The new center will offer a full continuum of services, including onsite psychiatric and medical care, medication management, individual and group therapy, expressive arts, wellness and recreational activities, and nutritious meals — all within a secure, trauma-informed environment.

“This is a game-changer for mental health care in our region,” said Nora Daly, Chief Development Officer at BACS. “Too many people are bouncing between jails, emergency rooms, and the streets — without real options for recovery. Waypoint MHRC breaks that cycle by filling a critical gap in our system with dignified, community-based care for people who’ve been overlooked for far too long.”

This project builds on deep partnerships with the City of Hayward and Alameda County, and it complements BACS’ nearby REGIS Village, which offers housing, respite care, outpatient services, a medical detox center, and more. Together, these campuses will offer seamless step-up and step-down behavioral health services, creating a true continuum of care.

“We’re proud to be partnering with the State, Alameda County, and the City of Hayward to create a model of compassionate, high-quality mental health treatment,” said Benjamin Blake, Interim CEO at BACS. “Waypoint is more than a building — it’s a lifeline.”

About Bay Area Community Services

Bay Area Community Services (BACS) breaks the mental health, housing, and community barriers that hold people back. BACS’ mission is to uplift individuals, families, and communities by doing “whatever it takes.” BACS helps people experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, or behavioral health challenges, while balancing other complications like health needs, substance use, generational trauma, incarceration, poverty, and more. Since its founding in 1953, BACS has steadily grown throughout Northern and Central California, integrating more than seven decades of behavioral health expertise with our Housing First philosophy to meet the rising needs of communities. To learn more, go to www.bayareacs.org

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

Nora Daly, Chief Development Officer

510-394-3519 |  ndaly@bayareacs.org