California’s John Henry Foundation operates a residential housing program for people with severe mental illnesses that is being examined as a potential model for treatment and recovery. The foundation’s Orange County facility houses adults with schizophrenia and related conditions, providing comprehensive psychiatric care, therapy, and supportive living environments in an open-door setting that allows residents to pursue education and regular life activities.
About 1 in 20 people in the U.S. experience serious mental illness annually, and thousands are admitted to California’s public psychiatric hospitals each year. California’s history of institutionalized psychiatric care includes documented systemic abuses, leading to a deinstitutionalization movement in the 1950s and 1960s. However, residential housing programs like John Henry provide an alternative model, employing clinical and medical staff equipped to meet the needs of individuals with multiple diagnoses who are often on conservatorships and have spent years in locked psychiatric hospitals.
The John Henry Foundation’s Orange County campus houses residents in bungalow-style dorms with access to outdoor spaces and recreational facilities. Clinical staff provide therapy and medical staff address psychiatric needs. The foundation’s medical director, Dr. Rimal Bera, teaches psychiatry at UC Irvine and researches how schizophrenia affects perception of reality. He notes that schizophrenia relates to abnormalities in brain neurotransmitters causing hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions. Beyond medication, he emphasizes the importance of establishing trusting relationships and support systems with clients and families. One major challenge is maintaining medication adherence, as the number one reason for relapse is when individuals stop treatment after feeling better.
Barriers to expanding such programs include staffing shortages, with less than one-third of the U.S. population residing in areas with sufficient psychiatrists and mental health professionals, and limited space in public and private psychiatric facilities. The foundation’s monthly program costs $4,250 per month and has an extensive waiting list. The life expectancy of people with schizophrenia is 20 years lower than average, according to research, making comprehensive treatment addressing biological, psychological, and social needs critical.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://timesofsandiego.com/health/2026/05/05/california-program-model-people-mental-illness/