Nevada County Approves Naming of Deer Creek Behavioral Health Center

NEVADA CITY — Nevada County will construct the new psychiatric treatment center on the Government Center campus in Nevada City. The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the name “Deer Creek Behavioral Health Center” during its March 24 meeting. Dr. Carrie Yardley, acting director of behavioral health, and Ariel Lovett, chief fiscal administrative officer for the Health and Human Services Agency, presented details and renderings of the project to the board.

The facility consists of a 16-bed acute psychiatric health facility and mental health rehabilitation center. Patients will receive care in a secure, 24-7 locked setting. Individuals will arrive and depart in the care of someone. Crestwood Behavioral Health will operate the center after selection through a competitive request-for-proposals process.

The center will serve Medi-Cal members in acute behavioral health crises in Nevada County. County residents currently travel 4 to 6 hours out of the county for treatment at the nearest facility. Local care will allow better coordination with family and the community treatment system as patients transition back home. Nevada County received a $23.7 million award through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program funded by Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2024.

Officials applied for the grant in December 2024 and received conditional approval in May 2025. The board approved the program funding agreement last month. Construction will begin next month with site work, followed by facility construction in June. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for March 31 at 9 AM on the Government Center campus.

Completion is scheduled for August 2027, with services opening in September 2027. The name honors the Deer Creek watershed where the facility is located. Ariel Lovett explained that the creek starts at about 4,000 feet above Scotts Flat and flows through Nevada City on its way to join the Yuba River. Dr. Carrie Yardley described how the name conveys the process patients go through and how life journeys form through experiences and transform through connections toward wellness.

Supervisor Hardy Bullock called the project super exciting and said he liked the name. Supervisor Heidi Hall thanked Supervisor Bullock for his advocacy and said the team did a good job of selecting an appropriate, locally relevant name. Supervisor Susan Hoek highlighted the fast turnaround and said, “Look at the renderings. It’s going to be a beautiful facility that helps to heal people.” Supervisor Robb Tucker said the name struck him as a home run. Chair Lisa Swarthout concurred with all the comments and noted that a robust discussion about naming occurred at the facilities committee.