Santa Clara County opens $470 million Behavioral Health Pavilion

Santa Clara County is set to open its first dedicated psychiatric treatment center for children and adolescents on November 3. The $470 million Behavioral Health Pavilion, located on the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center campus in San José, aims to address a long-standing gap in local mental health services.

The 207,000-square-foot facility will feature 77 inpatient treatment beds, including 35 specifically for children and teenagers and 42 for adults. The adult section is intended to replace the county's existing adult facility. In addition to inpatient care, the pavilion will provide outpatient treatment, emergency psychiatric assessments, and urgent care services.

For years, families in the Silicon Valley area have had to travel long distances to cities such as San Francisco, Concord, or Bakersfield to secure acute psychiatric care for minors. The new facility includes amenities such as large windows, outdoor spaces with a basketball court, and an integrated skywalk to connect the pavilion with the medical center’s emergency department to centralize care.