Garden Grove is transitioning its mobile mental health services, approving a new contract with nonprofit Healthcare In Action to replace existing provider Be Well OC. The Garden Grove City Council unanimously voted on August 25 to approve a $1.5 million first-year contract with Healthcare In Action, beginning the phase-out of Be Well OC's services. This shift comes after Mind OC, Be Well OC's parent nonprofit, informed city leaders it could no longer financially uphold its contract, according to the city.
The move by Garden Grove reflects broader difficulties for Be Well OC, which has been embroiled in a yearslong legal battle with the County of Orange. The dispute centers on questions of ownership and service provision at two mental health campuses built jointly by Mind OC and the county. Following a county audit that identified multiple issues at Be Well OC's Orange campus, county supervisors in 2024 withdrew their contracts for mental health services. This action led Mind OC to file a lawsuit against the county, alleging a breach of contract. Currently, the county operates the Orange facility, while the Irvine branch remains closed as the ownership dispute continues in court.
For Garden Grove, the new contract with Healthcare In Action will be largely covered by $1.1 million the city had previously allocated for its agreement with Be Well OC. An additional $450,000 reappropriation from the city’s National Opioid Settlement fund was also approved to cover the remaining costs of the new contract. Councilmember Joe DoVinh said at the late August meeting that "If we don’t use it, we lose it" regarding the opioid settlement funds.
The city plans for a transitional period where both Be Well OC and Healthcare In Action will operate simultaneously, overseen by the Garden Grove Police Department. This dual operation is scheduled to continue until November 30. During this time, Healthcare In Action will deploy two crews offering mobile mental health services from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. One crew will operate Monday through Friday, while the other will work from Wednesday to Sunday. After November 30, Healthcare In Action is slated to operate independently under a city-led pilot program, which is expected to run until March 2027.
During the August meeting, Garden Grove city officials raised questions regarding the implementation and operational hours of the new services. Councilmember George Brietigam questioned the overlap of the two care teams’ shifts, suggesting a different schedule to "give the p.m. watch guys some support." He noted it appeared to be a "simple, no-cost solution that we could be exploring here." Councilmember Cindy Ngoc Tran supported the idea of a later shift, citing common issues for local small businesses reporting incidents late at night and the need to wait until the next day for a response.
Timothy Throne, a project manager for the city’s economic development team, addressed these concerns. He attributed the single shift timeframe during the transition to budget constraints and stated that the planned hours reflected peak activity periods, according to data provided by Be Well OC. Throne noted that caller data indicated fewer dispatch calls related to homelessness or crisis situations occurred beyond 6 p.m.
Councilmember Ariana Arestegui also expressed concerns about the financial implications of the new contract. She pointed out that the $1.5 million contract with Healthcare In Action for eight hours of daily operation is more expensive than Be Well OC's previous $1.1 million annual contract, which provided 18 hours of service daily when fully operational. However, the costs for Healthcare In Action are projected to decrease after the initial year, with the annual contract potentially dropping to $1.2 million. Arestegui underscored the importance of ensuring comprehensive mental health services, stating it was "at the top of my mind" to address community needs.
The decision by Garden Grove to switch providers highlights ongoing challenges in mental health service provision across Orange County and the complexities arising from inter-agency disputes.
