One hundred twenty beds for critical behavioral services are coming to Palomar Health in Escondido, with a new 84,700 square foot Behavioral Health Institute. Ground was broken at the site near Palomar Hospital on Thursday.

Palomar Health President and CEO Diane Hansen said that in designing the new facility, "we were mindful that physical space has as much of an impact on the healing journey as the treatment program offered within its walls."

She said the Palomar Health Behavioral Health Institute will serve adults, adolescents, and geriatric patients in a space "surrounded by atriums, natural light, art and pleasant furnishings -- all fostering a warm, calm environment that promotes socialization and engagement."

Hansen said the facility will offer a range of inpatient and outpatient services with partner Lifepoint Behavioral Health, a Tennessee-based health care provider with facilities throughout the U.S. Lifepoint first partnered with Palomar Health in 2021 for their Rehabilitation Institute, offering services for patients recovering from strokes, trauma injuries and other disorders. Hansen said the partnership also brings a unique and in-demand resource.

"For the first time ever on the West Coast, this state of the art facility will offer help for heroes," Hansen said. "A wildly successful program designed to serve the mental health and substance abuse needs of active duty and retired military personnel, veterans, first responders and health care workers."

The Help for Heroes Program will offer a full spectrum of services including crisis intervention, trauma informed care, and support for PTSD and addiction.

"The horrific images and things that they have to deal with. They keep that all silent as they take care of the rest of us," said San Diego County District Attorney, Summer Stephan. "So being able to have a compassionate place of healing in order to deal with sometimes addiction and co-occurring PTSD and other trauma that debilitates their lives ... is super important."

But the needle on mental health resources in North County won't move just yet, because construction of the facility will take almost two years.

The region is also still waiting on the 16 bed psychiatric facility at Tri City Healthcare announced in 2022 and expected to open in the fall.

But Stephan says strides have been made to help those in need, "The North County often felt like the forgotten child of San Diego County when it comes to resources. But for the last four years, we have invested so much in the North County."

Resources that are already in the North County include One Safe Place in San Marcos and crisis stabilization units throughout the county.