Reversing her stance, Shasta County’s top health official said Wednesday, Nov. 26 that she now supports a $200 million behavioral health campus.
Adding his name to the list of supporters, Supervisor Chris Kellstrom also announced his support for the True North Behavioral Health Campus.
The surprise announcements came after Health and Human Services Agency Director Christy Coleman gave a presentation at a heated special Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, endorsing a letter opposing the True North proposal.
After the presentation, a divided board voted not to support the campus.
Supervisors Kevin Cry, Corky Harmon and Kellstrom voted to support Coleman’s letter opposing the project. Supervisors Allen Long and Matt Plummer cast no votes. The move prompted people to demonstrate against the supervisors the next day.
In a news release from the Health and Human Services agency, Coleman said the presentation she gave on Oct. 24 reflected “only partial information” she received.
Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency Director Christy Coleman at a special meeting of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors on Friday, October 24, 2025.
“As the person responsible for protecting Shasta County HHSA from budget overruns, the information gaps that emerged weighed heavily in my initial assessment. Now that I have the additional information needed, I am confident that this project is in the best interests of Shasta County and our broader region,” Coleman said.
After the special meeting of the board, the future of the campus is in doubt. But despite opposition from Coleman and the board majority, project proponents Arch Collaborative and Signature Healthcare decided to apply for the state grant.
In a separate news release issued Wednesday by Arc Collaborative, Kellstrom threw his support behind the project.
“When it first came to the board, I felt the need to stand by the staff while things were still unclear. Now that a concrete path is in place, I am happy to support the project and submit my letter of support,” he said.
Arc Collaborative CEO Kimberly Johnson said in a statement that she is grateful for the support.
“The True North Behavioral Health Campus reflects a regional, community-driven effort shaped by hundreds of voices across the North State. We are grateful for the partnership shown in recent weeks and are committed to transparent, collaborative work to strengthen the behavioral health system for our region,” she said.
Proponents of a behavioral health campus in Shasta County gathered before Oct. 28, 2025, to protest the board of supervisors’ decision not to support the project.
Signature Healthcare is the lead applicant for the state grant that funds the regional center. California-based Corona Company will also build a campus on 20 acres of land in Shasta Lake.
The state is expected to award grants in the spring.
Coleman said that now that he has issued a formal letter of support for the campus to Signature Health Services, the county is committed to working with regional partners to strengthen the health sector’s crisis response, expand behavioral health care and bring more needed resources to Shasta County.
The campus also has support from other county officials, such as Shasta Sheriff Michael Johnson, Shasta Community Health Center CEO Brandon Thornock, Shasta Superintendent of Education Mike Freeman and state Sen. Megan Dahle.
At a special October meeting, Supervisor Crye, who chairs the board, made it clear he was against the campus, calling the project a “bundle” and at one point “evil.”
Coleman echoed what many of the project’s supporters said in his Wednesday announcement, saying the True North campus would keep mental health patients closer to home.
“This will offer meaningful change for our residents and our system of care. In addition, it will allow Shasta County to leverage federal matching dollars for behavioral health care,” Coleman said.
“We are strongest when we work together, and the True North Behavioral Health Campus project is a reminder of how essential unity and collaboration is to meeting the behavioral health needs of our community,” he added.
David Benda covers business, development and other things to come for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He is part of a team of dedicated reporters who investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by calling 1-530-338-8323. To support and continue this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on the Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County’s top health official now backs $200 million campus
