Los Angeles Jewish Health was awarded $28 million as part of the initial Proposition 1-funded grants issued by the state Department of Health Care Services.
The grant funds will be used to expand L.A. Jewish Health’s inpatient behavioral health services for seniors, according to the organization.
“California is facing a senior behavioral health crisis,” Dale Surowitz, president and CEO of Los Angeles Jewish Health, said in a statement. “This transformative investment allows us to act urgently and proactively by expanding access to high-quality, compassionate inpatient care for seniors in acute psychiatric distress. We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom and DHCS for recognizing the urgency of this need and investing in a more sustainable, responsive future for our aging population.”
LAJH officials said the state’s senior population is expected to double in the next 15 years, meaning a likely similar growth in the number of older adults with behavioral health challenges, particularly among those who are low-income or socially isolated.
The initial round of funding from Proposition 1, which was passed by voters last year, distributed $3.3 billion in grants to more than 100 projects across the state.
Los Angeles Jewish Health is billed as the largest nonprofit, single-source provider of comprehensive senior healthcare services in the Los Angeles region, serving nearly 4,000 older adults a year.