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OC cuts ties with Be Well mental health partner. What does that mean?
The Be Well campus in the city of Orange has 60,000 square feet of space.
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Courtesy Be Well OC
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Topline:
Orange County has ended its relationship with its main mental health partner, Mind OC, which does business as Be Well. Officials announced the split Tuesday as part of a legal settlement with the nonprofit.
Why it matters: The settlement means Orange County’s Health Care Agency will now have full control over the county’s Be Well mental health campuses in Orange and Irvine. The opening of the Irvine campus had been delayed because of the dispute.
The legal dispute: The county filed a lawsuit in March accusing Mind OC, commonly known as Be Well OC, of squandering more than $60 million in public funds. The nonprofit had previously accused the county of violating its lease agreement for the Orange campus.
What happens next: Clinical providers and teams are gearing up to begin services at the Irvine campus as soon as possible, the county said in a news release. Patients can expect a full rebranding of both campuses from the Be Well OC name to a new brand name and design.
Background: A damning audit in 2024 found the organization failed to ensure proper staffing and effective outcomes of key services. LAist also reported in 2004 that Mind OC used taxpayer money to pay a person close to disgraced former Supervisor Andrew Do for work that was never completed.
Officials weigh-in: “We are proud to have built two state-of-the-art campuses for behavioral health services in Orange County. We look forward to continuing our mission and serving Orange County residents,” Dr. Richard Afable, board chairman of Mind OC, said in a statement.
“We finally secured the keys and can open the Irvine campus so children and families facing a behavioral health crisis get the care they need closer to home,” Supervisor Katrina Foley wrote in a statement.
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