Crisis residential in California
A few weeks in a house, instead of a hospital.
Crisis residential programs are small homes, staffed around the clock, where an adult can stay through a mental health crisis that is serious but does not need a hospital.
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- How long
- Usually under 14 or under 30 days. Never more than 3 months.
- Who
- Adults in crisis who are medically stable and do not need a locked unit.
- Who pays
- Medi-Cal through the county for most nonprofit houses. Private programs with the same certification bill insurance or private pay.
- Licensed by
- Social Services, with program certification from Health Care Services.
Getting in
What to know before you call.
How to get a bed
- If there is danger now, call or text 988, or 911.
- Call your county behavioral health access line or mobile crisis team and ask for a crisis residential referral. County houses take most referrals this way.
- From an emergency room or hospital, ask the social worker to refer as a step down.
Questions to ask
- Do you have a bed today?
- Do you take walk-ins, or only referrals?
- Can the person keep their phone and keep working or studying?
- What happens at discharge?
Under 18?
Every program on this page is for adults. Social Services labels only two programs as children's crisis residential; other teen homes describe themselves that way. See all of them, and use the teen decision desk to check what a placement is.
Good to know
County crisis houses and private 30-day mental health residentials share this certification; the operator name usually tells you which. Federal review of the rules.
The directory
Every crisis residential program in California.
Bay Area Commuinity Services, Inc.
Telecare Corporation
Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing Program
Kingdom Builders Transitional Housing Program
Bay Area Commuinity Services, Inc.
Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health, LLC
Sierra Health and Wellness Centers, LLC
National Psychiatric Care and Rehab Services, Inc.
Telecare Corporation
Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health, LLC
Central Star Behavioral Health, Inc.
Sierra Meadows Behavioral Health A Professional PS
Sierra Meadows Behavioral Health A Professional PS
Sierra Meadows Behavioral Health
Willow Glen Care Center
Bh-Ic Opco, LLC
Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc.
Tcsrzs Holdings, LLC
Tcsrzs Holdings, LLC
Arise Hilside Treatment Center LLC
Autumn Hills Behavioral Health, LLC
Autumn Hills Behavioral Health II, LLC
Beachstep Investments, LLC.
Bel Air Health Services Inc.
Bridges To Recovery, LLC
Bridges To Recovery, LLC
Central Star Behavioral Health, Inc.
Central Star Behavioral Health, Inc.
Central Star Behavioral Health, Inc.
Clear Recovery Center, LLC
The numbers · state data as of 1 October 2026
Where the beds are.
- Los Angeles County: 50 programs
- Orange County: 24 programs
- San Diego County: 14 programs
- Santa Clara County: 9 programs
- Ventura County: 9 programs
- San Bernardino County: 8 programs
- Sacramento County: 6 programs
- Alameda County: 5 programs
- Fresno County: 4 programs
- Riverside County: 4 programs
| Kind | Programs | Beds listed |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis residential | 170 | 1,780 |
26 of 58 counties have none. In the directory above, tick “Include neighboring counties” to see what is nearby.
Questions people ask
Crisis residential, answered.
What is crisis residential treatment?
A small, staffed house where an adult can stay through a mental health crisis that is serious but does not need a hospital. California caps these homes at 16 beds.
How long can someone stay?
Most stays are under 14 or under 30 days, depending on the program. California's rules do not allow a crisis stay to run past 3 months.
Can I go directly, or do I need a referral?
Most county-run houses take people only through the county behavioral health access line, a mobile crisis team, or a hospital referral. Privately run programs with the same certification usually take calls directly.
Who pays for it?
For people with Medi-Cal, the county usually pays. Private programs bill commercial insurance or charge privately. Ask before admission.
How is this different from a psychiatric hospital?
A crisis house is unlocked, small and home-like, and for people who are medically stable. A hospital is locked and provides acute medical and psychiatric care.
Also on this site
Related kinds of care.
Psychiatric hospitals
Short, locked, 24-hour acute care.
Open 281Adult mental health residential
Transitional, long-term and locked programs for adults.
Open GuideSelf-harm and suicidal thoughts
What to do tonight, and what a good program does differently.
Open 2,259All residential care
Every type, every county, with a map and search.
OpenResidential care ends. Someone still has to be there every week.
The TherapyCalifornia directory is not open yet. We are recruiting therapists and will publish a profile only after its openings, prices, insurance details and licence can be checked. Availability will be reconfirmed every month, and nobody will be able to pay for a higher place.
See the directory promise →Where every row comes from.
State records
- DHCS certified residential mental health programs, FY 2025–26 Q4
How crisis, transitional and long-term are told apart. The DHCS list labels all three as social rehabilitation programs. We group them by the type letter in each certificate number: S for short-term crisis, T for transitional, L for long-term. DHCS does not publish this key; we checked it against programs whose own descriptions are known. Treat the grouping as our reading of the file, not a state label.
What a row can prove. That the state listed a named program, its operator, city and capacity in a dated file. It cannot prove quality, safety, fit, payment, admission or an open bed. Inclusion is computed from those files and is never purchased.
Privacy. No analytics, advertising pixels or session recording on these pages. Your shortlist, notes and county choice stay in this browser and are never sent anywhere.
Review hold. Clinical review and California access and legal review are pending. No review badge is claimed.