SHARE! PRESS RELEASE: SHARE! and Partners to Open New Peer-Respites in Los Angeles with Support from California’s Largest Mental Health Grant

LOS ANGELES, CA — [June 24, 2025] — In a historic move to strengthen California’s behavioral health system, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has conditionally awarded $3.3 billion in Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) grants, the largest investment of its kind in California and U.S. history. The initiative aims to expand access to mental health and substance use treatment services across the state.

Among 124 projects selected statewide, SHARE! the Self-Help And Recovery Exchange has been awarded funding to launch two new peer respite homes in Los Angeles County. These projects are made possible through partnerships with LA City Council District 3 and Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, as well as the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG).

Funded through Proposition 1 and administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), BHCIP will add over 5,000 new residential treatment beds and 21,800 outpatient treatment slots across California, focusing on addressing critical gaps in behavioral health services, particularly for individuals experiencing homelessness.

SHARE!’s peer respite projects will add 25 beds, reaching approximately 625 additional Angelenos annually through short-term, peer-run support programs. These peer respites offer a vital alternative to hospitalization by providing a safe, voluntary, home-like environment where individuals can access support during times of distress, transition, or for preventative self-care, centered on lived experience, empowerment, and recovery.

“We’re excited and honored to receive this groundbreaking investment,” said Brian D. Ulf, CEO of SHARE!. “Since 1993, SHARE! has delivered community-based recovery rooted in self-help and peer support. Our programs act as catalysts for transformation, helping individuals heal from trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges while rebuilding their lives.”

This funding enables SHARE! to quadruple its peer respite capacity, expanding from one 8-bed Recovery Retreat to three homes with a combined 33 beds throughout Los Angeles County, including the first in the City of Los Angeles. These new homes represent a major step forward in trauma-informed, evidence-based care rooted in lived experience. Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and the SBCCOG have both been champions and supporters of SHARE!’s programs.

"The SBCCOG would like to thank Governor Newsom and his team for providing this much- needed resource for our communities," Rodney Tanaka, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Gardena and SBCCOG Board Chair. "These peer respite homes will provide short-term beds for people recovering from their behavioral health needs and complement the SBCCOG’s successful SHARE! Home to Employment program. We are excited to continue our ongoing partnership with SHARE!”.

Media Contact:

Marketing@shareselfhelp.org

About SHARE!

Founded in 1993, SHARE! – the Self-Help And Recovery Exchange – connects people with self- help support groups, collaborative housing, and peer services. With a model rooted in lived experience and social connection, SHARE! serves thousands of individuals each year with immediate, effective, and scalable solutions for recovery, reintegration, and housing. For more information about SHARE! visit https://www.shareselfhelp.org/.

About SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS:

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is a joint powers government agency of 16 cities and the County of Los Angeles which share the goal of maximizing the quality of life and productivity of the subregion. Within this structure, cities and Los Angeles County maintain the qualities and characteristics that make them unique and independent, while also coming together collectively to address issues of common interest for a greater good of the communities through partnership, persuasion, performance, and advocacy. For more information about the SBCCOG visit https://southbaycities.org/.