IRVINE, Calif., March 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Two state-of-the-art behavioral health campuses in Orange County are ready to serve all residents, regardless of insurance type. One remains closed. The other is operating under restrictions that limit who can access care.
This week, Be Well Orange County (Be Well OC) launched its “Red Tape” campaign, a movement calling on the County of Orange to open the Irvine Campus and provide access to all residents, regardless of insurance type at both campuses in Irvine and Orange.
To remove the red tape limiting access to care, Be Well OC launched a Change.org petition for the community to sign, asking the County to deliver on its promises.
“Seven years ago, Orange County said access to behavioral health care was fragmented and out of reach. Be Well OC together with public, private, faith-based, academic, healthcare organizations, and others, took steps to solve that problem, building world-class facilities ready to serve everyone. But today the problem continues, red tape is keeping access limited and in the case of the new Irvine campus, the doors are closed. We need your help to open them,” said Phillip Franks, CEO, Be Well OC.
At the Be Well OC Orange Campus, access to the residential treatment programs is limited to County-approved referrals through their behavioral health programs. Since one must come through the County system, which serves roughly 1/3 of the County population, 2/3 of Orange County residents with employer-sponsored, private insurance or MediCare are unable to access services at the campus. In addition, the County-approved referral list for residential programs at the Orange Campus does not include any Orange County hospitals, despite having invested millions in both campuses
“Two-thirds of the Orange County taxpayers who funded these facilities are denied access based on their insurance type. This is the opposite of the Be Well OC vision the community rallied behind – including the County Board of Supervisors. Why are they going back on their promises?” said Dr. Richard Afable, Chairman of the Board, Be Well OC.
Zero Orange County General Fund (local discretionary tax dollars) were used to build the Be Well campuses:
- Orange Campus — $40M project
- Hospitals — $12M
- CalOptima Health — $11.4M
- California Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and California Senate Bill 82 funding — $16.6M
- Irvine Campus — $114M project
- State of California funding — $50M
- Federal funding — $4M
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds — $20M
- Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding — $20M
- CalOptima Health — $15M
- Hospitals — $5M
In addition to the limited access to the Orange Campus, the Sobering Center was closed by the Orange County Health Care Agency, without explanation in 2024, and remains closed to date.
“The County continues to try to sow distrust in Be Well through their public comments and legal filings, with the ultimate goal of gaining ownership of millions in real estate assets,” continued Franks. “We won’t be distracted. We look forward to our day in court and remain focused on making the campuses accessible to all.”
According to a recent online survey conducted by independent research firm, Mackenzie, among 403 Orange County, Ca. residents from Jan. 8-13, 2026: (Results are statistically valid at a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of approximately +/-4.9%):
- 65% of residents either personally sought behavioral health care, or knew someone who did, in the past year.
- 28% of those who sought help, or knew someone who did in the past year, were unable to access the care they needed.
- Overall, 66% say expanded behavioral health services are extremely or very urgent.
The Irvine Campus is ready to start serving the community. The County has yet to approve the sublease agreement, though it has been submitted to the County for approval on multiple occasions, preventing Be Well OC from entering into leases with County contracted providers, thus causing delays in opening the campus.
“In my work as a rabbi, a therapist, and a chaplain, I have sat with people at their most vulnerable – in pain, and in desperate need of support. I have watched mental health challenges tear through families and communities without warning and without discrimination, and I have seen firsthand what happens when people cannot access care. The opening of the Irvine Campus to all, and the full accessibility of the Orange Campus are not policy discussions; they are moral imperatives,” said Rabbi Richard Steinberg, congregational rabbi in Irvine and Be Well OC Founding Board Member.
Visit Change.org/CutTheRedTapeOC to sign the petition today and express support for opening the Irvine Campus and expanding access to care for all Orange County residents.
ABOUT BE WELL OC
Be Well OC is a transformative initiative bringing together public, private, academic and faith-based organizations to create a coordinated system of behavioral health care and support for all Orange County residents regardless of ability to pay. The Be Well OC behavioral health system, which includes mental health crisis stabilization and substance use services, features two state-of-the-art mental health and wellness facilities in Orange and Irvine, a mobile response program, and a navigation center for individuals and families. Be Well OC’s movement spans across all of Orange County and a range of needs, from prevention and early intervention to crisis aversion, crisis management, acute care and recovery. For more information visit bewelloc.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Karena Bibbins
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76f5638e-553d-4fcf-a250-63ed1d5df1e6