Mind OC was established in 2017 as a California 501C3 non-profit, and aims to transform care for all Orange County residents experiencing mental health and substance use disorders. There was widespread recognition that the existing model was ineffective, leaving too many people without the care they need to address their behavioral health needs. Doing business as Be Well Orange County (OC), the organization exists to advance the Be Well OC movement on behalf of public and private partners, and for the whole community. 

Access to mental health care is one of the most significant challenges in public health in Orange County. In 2017, a group of committed public and private sector leaders, joined by leaders from several venerable hospitals, health systems, and various community and faith-based groups gathered to develop scalable and sustainable solutions.

The coalition established Mind OC to provide the central financial and leadership infrastructure and backbone to develop a community-wide, coordinated ecosystem to support optimal mental health. The result is Be Well OC, a movement to transform the mental health system and ensure that all residents who need care get the right care at the right time and in the right place.

Be Well OC is driven by the collective impact model, which recognizes that complex problems require collaboration from many sectors of the community to provide population-wide outcomes.

With a clearly defined leadership structure and well-defined goals, Mind OC, through Be Well OC, is transforming Orange County’s mental health services delivery into a world-class system of care. Mind OC priorities include:

• Developing a mental health and wellness infrastructure
• Optimizing value and transparency in mental health and substance use treatment services
• Sustaining Be Well OC with public/private partnerships