San Francisco has opened a dedicated urgent care center at 822 Geary Street to address mental health crises and drug-related episodes on city streets. The facility, which converted from a former Goodwill thrift shop and began operations in late April, operates around the clock with nursing staff, mental health specialists, and on-call physicians. Police, paramedics, and crisis counselors can bring individuals in distress to the location, while patients may also arrive voluntarily and are free to depart at any time.
During its initial five months, the center admitted 344 people, with 88 transitioning into residential treatment programs, according to the mayor's office. Services include medication for psychotic symptoms, laundry and shower access, and connections to longer-term addiction treatment. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who campaigned on improving street safety, emphasized the straightforward approach after years of bureaucratic complexity. Stanford psychiatry professor Keith Humphreys noted that most cities lack this intermediate option between emergency rooms and basic sobering centers.
The facility receives partial reimbursement from Medi-Cal and funding from a voter-approved business tax designated for homeless services.
During its initial five months, the center admitted 344 people, with 88 transitioning into residential treatment programs, according to the mayor's office. Services include medication for psychotic symptoms, laundry and shower access, and connections to longer-term addiction treatment. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who campaigned on improving street safety, emphasized the straightforward approach after years of bureaucratic complexity. Stanford psychiatry professor Keith Humphreys noted that most cities lack this intermediate option between emergency rooms and basic sobering centers.
The facility receives partial reimbursement from Medi-Cal and funding from a voter-approved business tax designated for homeless services.
