Redwood Community Services Awarded State Funding
Redwood Community Services Awarded State Funding to Build the Beautiful Roots Wellness & Recovery Center
A major investment from the State of California will expand behavioral health treatment, crisis care, and recovery services on RCS’ Building Bridges campus
Redwood Community Services (RCS) is honored to announce that the Beautiful Roots Wellness & Recovery Center has been awarded Bond Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (Bond BHCIP) Round 2 funding from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). This award is part of a statewide investment that expands mental health and substance use disorder treatment capacity across California, prioritized to meet the needs of vulnerable communities. According to DHCS, the state’s latest investment includes over $1.18 billion to fund new behavioral health facilities and treatment slots across California, including rural regions and Tribal communities.
Beautiful Roots will create an integrated behavioral health campus offering outpatient mental health care, outpatient substance use disorder treatment, and a 24/7 sobering center, all co‑located on the Building Bridges (B²) property in Ukiah. This new center addresses an urgent need for trauma‑informed, accessible, community‑based services in Mendocino County.
Honoring the Roots of the Project
The name Beautiful Roots carries deep significance for RCS and the people it serves. The original “Beautiful” artwork was created by a guest of Building Bridges—an individual whose creativity and presence left a lasting impact on the community. His artwork continues to inspire the campus and serves as a reminder that the people who seek care here are not only survivors, but storytellers, creators, and leaders. His legacy lives on through this project.
The word Roots speaks to belonging, connection, and place. A common myth—here and across the country—is that people relocate to communities like Mendocino County to experience homelessness. In reality, the vast majority of individuals served at Building Bridges are from Mendocino County. They are rooted here through family, history, culture, relationships, and identity. Beautiful Roots reflects a commitment to honoring those connections and ensuring that care is available where people already belong.
A Community‑Driven Vision
This project was shaped through years of input from RCS staff, Building Bridges guests, County of Mendocino Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, Tribal partners, and a coalition of local community organizations who share the goal of strengthening the behavioral health continuum. Their lived experience, professional expertise, cultural guidance, and advocacy were essential in defining the vision for what the B² campus could become.
Every day, Building Bridges serves over 100 people, offering safety, warmth, connection, and support. The Beautiful Roots Wellness & Recovery Center will significantly expand the campus’ ability to meet the complex needs of both unhoused and housed vulnerable individuals, and families while furthering a long‑term vision for a thriving, comprehensive care hub in the heart of Ukiah.
Part of a Statewide Transformation in Behavioral Health
The Beautiful Roots project joins a major statewide effort to transform California’s behavioral health system under Proposition 1. According to DHCS, the state has now allocated funding for thousands of new residential treatment beds and tens of thousands of outpatient behavioral health slots, exceeding statewide goals for expanded access. This investment focuses on strengthening services for people experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness—particularly in rural and underserved areas.
RCS expresses profound gratitude to DHCS for this opportunity and for investing in infrastructure that directly improves the lives of people experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises, and addiction. RCS also extends thanks to the County of Mendocino, local Tribal communities, and the many community partners who have provided collaboration, guidance, and unwavering support.
About Beautiful Roots
The Beautiful Roots Wellness & Recovery Center will be a permanent, purpose‑built campus rooted in dignity, belonging, and trauma‑informed care. It is guided by values of community, creativity, hope, and healing—values carried forward from the guests who shaped the Building Bridges identity.
Now that funding has been awarded, the real work begins. In the coming months, RCS will move through the exciting pre‑construction phase — partnering with the State of California to finalize contracts, refining the building’s trauma‑informed design, selecting a construction partner, and continuing our close collaboration with the City of Ukiah Planning Department to prepare the site for what’s ahead. It’s a season of shaping blueprints, making big decisions, and bringing decades of vision into focus. Once these milestones are complete, we’ll be ready to break ground and begin building Beautiful Roots — a space our community has needed, imagined, and inspired for years.
About Redwood Community Services