Grant Applications vs. Reality — Why They Don’t Always Match

This document outlines the application process, requirements, and project details for funding a behavioral health infrastructure project at Serenity Recovery Campus in Los Angeles County.

Project Overview and Location

• The Serenity Recovery Campus in San Pedro, Los Angeles County, is an adaptive reuse project with existing operations and planned completion by December 2028.1
• It aims to expand behavioral health infrastructure addressing regional unmet needs through construction, renovation, and service integration.2

Service Offerings and Care Levels

• The facility will provide comprehensive services including residential SUD treatment, withdrawal management, outpatient, peer respite, and recovery housing.
• It will serve high-need populations such as justice-involved individuals, homeless persons, veterans, and those with co-occurring disorders.3

Community Needs and Regional Impact

• The project addresses documented gaps like 129 unmet residential SUD beds in LA County’s South region.4
• It offers a regional model connecting clients across Southern California to integrated, least restrictive care options.5

Alignment with State and Local Priorities

• The project targets urgent care needs, promotes health equity, and offers community-based alternatives to incarceration and hospitalization.
• It leverages existing county and state investments in housing, workforce, and crisis services to ensure sustainability.6

Population Focus and Referral Pathways

• The campus serves a large, diverse population with 86% experiencing homelessness and 90% justice-involved.
• Referrals come from government contracts, healthcare providers, community organizations, and crisis services, ensuring broad access.

Step-up and Step-down Care Connections

• The integrated campus model facilitates seamless transitions across care levels, maintaining treatment relationships and reducing unnecessary restrictions.7

Funding and Service Payor Structure

• The project anticipates 94% Medi-Cal funding and 6% from other sources, with no private insurance, Medicare, private pay, or other payors expected.
• Diversified revenue streams support comprehensive services, including residential, outpatient, ECM, and justice-involved programs, serving primarily Medi-Cal eligible populations.8

Long-term Service Funding Strategy

• Property acquisition with Bond BHCIP funds ensures ownership, eliminating lease costs for 30 years.9
• FBRS’s 40+ years of operational history, diversified county and justice contracts, strong financial growth, and institutional support validate sustainability over the service restriction period.10

Facility and Campus Details

• Five facilities across three types: residential SUD, outpatient SUD, outpatient OBOT, partial hospitalization, and peer respite.
• Total construction/rehabilitation square footage ranges from 2,450 to 80,899, with funding requests from approximately $1.4M to $58M.
• Facilities will serve expanded treatment slots and beds, with completion dates between 2027 and 2028.

Service Delivery and Integration

• Facilities will provide a full continuum of care, from crisis to recovery, with integrated services across residential, outpatient, and housing.
• Centralized intake, care coordination, electronic health records, and shared care plans facilitate seamless transitions and improve outcomes.11

Population Focus and Special Populations

• Populations include adults, older adults, transition-age youth, and perinatal women.12
• Special populations targeted are people with disabilities, homeless individuals, LGBTQ+, justice-involved, veterans, women, and those with severe mental health conditions.13

Campus Model and Facility Collocation

• The campus spans 5 buildings on 5.2 acres with ocean views, integrating multiple levels of care.
• Facilities include residential treatment, outpatient, OBOT, PHP, peer respite, and recovery housing, funded by BHCIP and match funds.

Housing Components

• Planned housing includes 12 onsite Recovery Bridge Housing beds and 176 offsite beds.14
• Housing supports treatment adherence, stability, and recovery, especially for unhoused and justice-involved populations.15
• Housing will be co-located with treatment facilities, with completion targeted for 2028.

Specialized Facilities and Populations

• Residential SUD treatment facilities will meet licensing standards, expanding capacity and services.16
• Outpatient and OBOT facilities will provide MAT, outpatient treatment, and withdrawal management, with licenses aligned to service levels.17
• Peer respite offers non-clinical, voluntary crisis support for veterans and other populations, emphasizing recovery and self-determination.

Service Integration and Outcomes

• The campus offers a comprehensive, evidence-based model with integrated housing, peer support, trauma-informed care, and medication-assisted treatment.18
• Technology, care coordination, and co-location reduce barriers, improve retention, and support long-term recovery for diverse populations.19

Housing Support and Facility Planning

• Planned long-term housing projects include a 12-bed Peer Respite facility, anticipated completion by 12/31/2028, not co-located with other projects, and operating as an unlocked, non-locked facility.
• Five facilities are proposed: residential SUD treatment, outpatient services, office-based opioid treatment, partial hospitalization, and Peer Respite, with funding requests confirmed.20

Service Populations and Treatment Approaches

• Focus on diverse populations including transition-age youth, adults, perinatal women, older adults, people with disabilities, homeless individuals, LGBTQ+ persons, those with serious mental health conditions, justice-involved individuals, and women.
• Services incorporate trauma-informed care, evidence-based practices like MAT, CBT, motivational interviewing, and trauma counseling, with tailored programs such as employment support, family reunification, and culturally specific services.21

Justice-Involved Population Engagement

• Extensive partnerships with agencies like CDCR, Probation, and local courts support justice-involved referrals.
• The facility will serve multiple justice-involved groups, including youth, adults, pregnant women, and seniors, with referral pathways through corrections, community programs, and mandated treatment.

Cultural Competency and Equity

• Services are tailored for racial and ethnic groups including Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, and LGBTQ+ populations.
• Staff diversity, language services, and collaborations with community organizations ensure culturally responsive care and address minority-specific needs.

Development and Construction Strategy

• The project is in planning and predevelopment, with existing site control, schematic design, and environmental assessments completed.
• Rapid development plans include acquiring the property by 04/01/2027, with streamlined permitting, reuse of existing structures, and minimal environmental impact.

Financial Planning and Budget

• Total development cost estimated at approximately $80.7 million, with funding covering acquisition, planning, permits, construction, and service startup.
• The budget includes detailed cost estimates from qualified professionals, contingency plans for overruns, and strategies for cost containment through scope management and value engineering.22

Property Acquisition and Site Details

• The site at 2100 S Western Ave, owned by 9 Gem Capital Group, will be acquired using Bond BHCIP funds, with a planned closing date of 04/01/2027.
• The property has existing entitlements, and acquisition will involve a formal purchase agreement, title review, and community engagement events.

Community Engagement and Public Events

• Events include ceremonies honoring the Sisters of the Poor, stakeholder meetings, community celebrations, and open houses aligned with project milestones.
• The project emphasizes transparency, honoring legacy, and fostering community relations throughout development.

Project Cost Management and Permitting

• Cost strategies involve early buyouts, value engineering, and phased implementation.
• Permits will be expedited, utilizing existing infrastructure and minimal new approvals, with construction starting within three months of funding.23

Land and Site Development

• The site’s land costs are valued at $45 million, with acquisition costs totaling over $48 million, including closing, legal, appraisal, and insurance fees.
• No additional land improvements or encumbrances are planned, and the property is not on tribal land or owned by a government entity.

Project Milestones and Publicity

• Future milestones include groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting, and community open houses, with no recent publicity or negative coverage reported.
• The project maintains ongoing communication and community involvement to ensure transparency and support.

Developer and Project Costs

• Total developer costs amount to $675,000, covering overhead, consultants, administration, and contract fees.24
• The overall project costs funded by grants and cash match total approximately $80.7 million, with grant funding at $73.4 million and cash match at $7.3 million.

Funding Breakdown and Match Requirements

• The requested bond funding is $73,400,878.62.
• Match amounts include $7 million in secured cash, $5 million pledged philanthropic support, and additional match categories such as property and sunk costs.
• There is a noted discrepancy between the cash match in the budget ($7,340,554) and the section total ($7 million), which was corrected.

Sources of Capital and Match

• Capital sources include other grants, bond investments, equity, and debt, but specific amounts are not provided.
• Cash match sources include local funding, philanthropic support, and other funds, totaling over $7 million.
• Property and sunk costs are also designated as match sources, with sunk costs valued at $500,000.

Letters of Support and Required Documentation

• Multiple letters of support from government officials, community stakeholders, and health agencies are included, with some pending or previously declined.
• Key supporting documents include organizational resolutions, development team contracts, design plans, financial pro formas, and site control documents.
• All documents must be properly labeled and submitted by the deadline, with specific requirements for tribal, corporate, and co-applicant entities.

Application Certification and Privacy

• The applicant certifies authority to submit and confirms the accuracy of all information.25
• Privacy notices inform that application data may be publicly disclosed under the California Public Records Act.26
• Certification includes acknowledgment of privacy policies and consent to data collection for application processing and potential follow-up.27