SJC BeWell Center
The SJC BeWell Center - referred to as the "Be Well Campus" - is a major behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment facility currently under development in San Joaquin County, California. The project is designed to serve as a cornerstone for a more compassionate, coordinated, and effective behavioral health system in the region, addressing longstanding gaps in local mental health and substance use services.
Key Features and Services
Comprehensive Continuum of Care
The Be Well Campus will be the first facility in the region to consolidate a wide range of behavioral health and substance use disorder services under one roof].
Services will include:
Crisis stabilization
Detox and sobriety centers
Youth and family outpatient services
Substance use treatment
Locked psychiatric health facility beds
Behavioral health crisis stabilization beds
Mental health urgent care as an alternative to emergency departments
A sobering center
Medically managed detoxification
Step-down residential/aftercare beds for both substance use and mental health clients.
Location and Infrastructure
The campus will be situated on 23 acres of county-owned land in French Camp, near San Joaquin General Hospital.
The facility is expected to encompass approximately 60,000 square feet and provide 80 to 95 treatment beds of various types..
Target Populations
The center is designed to divert individuals with acute substance use disorders from emergency departments to more appropriate care settings.
It will also establish the first youth substance abuse residential program in the San Joaquin Valley region,.
Project Status and Funding
In April 2025, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $261.8 million budget for the project and awarded a Progressive Design-Build Validation Services agreement to Herrero-McGuire Hester Joint Venture, marking the official launch of the project’s first phase.
Funding sources will include Medi-Cal (including Drug-Medical), federal participation through the Affordable Care Act, Mental Health Services Act Community Services and Support funds, and CalAIM reimbursement.
The project aligns with state priorities to create campus-style mental health settings, particularly to address the needs of the unsheltered homeless population
Community Impact
The Be Well Campus is expected to significantly improve access to behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment, reduce stigma, and help residents avoid unnecessary hospitalizations or incarceration.
The project reflects a commitment to long-term investment, cross-sector collaboration, and equity-driven service delivery in San Joaquin County.
“This project is not just about building a facility-it’s about investing in the future of health care for our growing community.”
Paul Canepa, Board Chair, San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors
The SJC BeWell Center (Be Well Campus) is a transformational initiative in San Joaquin County, CA, aiming to provide a full spectrum of behavioral health and substance abuse services in a single, accessible location, with a focus on prevention, recovery, and reducing the burden on emergency departments and the justice system.
SJC Be Well Center and Lodi Access Center
The SJC Be Well Center and the Lodi Access Center are distinct but complementary facilities within San Joaquin County, each serving different-though sometimes overlapping-community needs.
SJC Be Well Center
Focus: The SJC Be Well Center (also known as the Be Well Campus) is a county-level facility designed to provide a comprehensive range of behavioral health and substance use disorder services. Its offerings include crisis stabilization, detoxification, mental health urgent care, youth and family outpatient services, and residential treatment for both mental health and substance use disorders.
Scope: It serves the entire county, including Lodi, by acting as a centralized hub for specialized behavioral health care, especially for individuals in crisis or needing intensive treatment.
Role: The Be Well Center is positioned as the region’s main resource for those requiring acute mental health or substance use interventions, and it is intended to coordinate with local service providers for ongoing care and referrals.
Lodi Access Center
Focus: The Lodi Access Center is a city-level, low-barrier, service-enriched emergency shelter specifically aimed at Lodi’s unsheltered and homeless population. It provides immediate needs such as shelter, meals, hygiene facilities, case management, employment support, and housing navigation..
Scope: Its primary goal is to help individuals regain stability, connect to resources, and move toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency. It also provides linkages to healthcare, sobriety support, and other social services[5].
Role: The Access Center functions as a gateway for Lodi residents experiencing homelessness to access a network of services, including referrals to more specialized behavioral health or substance use treatment-services that may be provided at the SJC Be Well Center..
How They Relate
Referral and Service Linkage: The Lodi Access Center connects clients to needed resources, including behavioral health and addiction services. For individuals requiring higher-level or specialized care (such as crisis stabilization, detox, or residential treatment), the Access Center would refer them to the SJC Be Well Center or similar county-level facilities[5].
Continuum of Care: Together, these centers form a continuum of care: the Lodi Access Center addresses immediate and transitional needs for the homeless, while the SJC Be Well Center provides intensive behavioral health and substance use treatment when needed.
Shared Goals: Both centers aim to reduce homelessness, improve community health, and provide pathways to stability, but they do so at different points in the service spectrum and for different primary populations.
The Lodi Access Center serves as a local entry point for unsheltered individuals in Lodi, offering shelter and support services, and refers clients needing intensive behavioral health or substance use treatment to the SJC Be Well Center, which provides those specialized county-level services. The two facilities are partners in a broader network, ensuring that vulnerable residents receive the right care at the right time.
More Information
[PDF] San Joaquin Be Well Campus (SJ Be Well) https://www.sjgov.org/docs/default-source/county-administrator-documents/legislative-platforms/state-legislative-regulatory-platform-and-policy-guidelines/new-2023-24-state-bewell-campus.pdf?sfvrsn=f1fde307_5
Behavioral Health Services — Board of Supervisors https://www.sjgov.org/department/bos/board-news/board-news-detail/2025/04/23/sjc-board-of-supervisors-advances-be-well-campus-project