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Salinas Valley Psychiatric Program

In 1999, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) initiated the joint planning of a Mental Health Treatment Hospital within of CDCR’s existing prisons. Because of CDCR’s growing Mental Health treatment needs, it was determined to place a mental health hospital within a level IV prison.

Salinas Valley Psychiatric Program (SVPP) is the result of this planning effort. This 64-bed facility is located within Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP), and is an expansion of SVSP’s Correctional Treatment Center (CTC). It is modeled after existing program at Atascadero State Hospital and the Vacaville Psychiatric Program. It conforms to the California Code of Regulations Title 22 CTC and Title 24 licensing requirements.

Opening in 2003, the SVPP Intermediate Treatment Program is committed to the pursuit of quality in providing assessment and treatment services to the mentally inmates in CDCR. We believe that the effective and timely provision of treatment services benefits the individual patient, the individuals who associate with the patient, and society in general.

The professional disciplines of Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychiatric Social Work, Rehabilitation Therapy, Nursing, Dietetics, Pharmacy and Medical Technical Assistants constitute a multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and treatment. The treatment milieu consists of a therapeutic environment that provides structured group therapies, recreation and leisure, and psychotropic medication adjustment and maintenance. The psycho-educational therapies include: coping skills development, understanding and modifying substance abuse behaviors, medication compliance, adaptive living skills, rehabilitation therapies, anger management, and discharge planning.

Since the short time it has been open, DMH and CDCR has recognized a need for additional facilities who are able to provide such services to inmates. In May 2006, SVPP will expand to accept an additional 36-beds. This expansion will increase both nursing and professional staffing. In 2009, an additional facility is being built within SVSP’s confines and will be able to house an addition 64-beds.

The Department of Mental Health, Long Term Care Services Division, and SVPP Management remain committed to establishing the highest quality program to care for the mentally ill.

SVPP continues to recruit individuals who will provide caring treatment to our patients, and treat each patient as an individual with respect, dignity, and understanding coupled with an excellent staff to patient ratio in a state-of-the-art facility. Come join our team

Department of Mental Health
Personnel Department
P. O. Box 1080
Soledad , CA 93960
(831) 678-5667