Lightfully Behavioral Health coming to downtown Santa Barbara. The mental health treatment facility will offer partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs starting July 8 The facility will offer a partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient care for adults with mental health conditions once it officially opens on July 8. It began accepting inquiries and referrals last week. Lightfully's leadership welcomed community members to the location at 111 W. Micheltorena St. on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. "All communities deserve good care," Lightfully CEO Jennifer Steiner said. The new location aims to fill gaps in local services for adults experiencing more severe and complex mental health conditions, including psychosis and suicidality. Serving those populations is part of why Lightfully was founded, according to Chief Clinical Officer Nicole Siegfried. "Here in Santa Barbara, we've gotten feedback that there's a need for not just mental health services in general, but really (for) those higher acuity populations," Siegfried said. "We want something that can fit the needs of all of those levels of acuity." The nearest other Lightfully location is in Thousand Oaks. The new Santa Barbara program will reduce that travel burden for local clients and meet a rising demand for mental health services in the region, driven by factors such as a tense political climate and social media usage, Siegfried said. The opening is especially meaningful for Steiner, a Santa Barbara resident. "Being a member of this community, I have a real awareness of the limited resources," Steiner said. "It felt really important to offer something." Services follow a Precision Care Model, which combines evidence-based treatment with clinical support centered on human connection. Its partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs provide higher levels of treatment without requiring residential care. The partial hospitalization program offers treatment five days a week, while the intensive outpatient program offers flexible programming. David Barks, an associate marriage and family therapist at the office of Cara Behan LMFT, said he attended the ribbon-cutting to learn more about Lightfully's intensive outpatient program. While he has heard about mixed experiences with intensive outpatient programs, he believes they can be vital because they help clients continue with their outside obligations. He also appreciated that Lightfully's treatment plans are community-centered and include group therapy sessions. "So many people do struggle alone," Barks said. "Having something that gets them integrated into groups, so that they can just get a little bit more connected to others, and realizing that they're not so alone in this, is a great thing." Lightfully works with major insurance providers and CareCredit to reduce financial barriers, Siegfried said. Santa Barbara Behavioral Health and Wellness recently contracted with Lightfully as a provider in its network. They are now working to implement the partnership, which will serve Medi-Cal members who need higher levels of outpatient care, Steiner said. "Mental health is something that so many folks are struggling with, and I think it's the root of so many societal challenges," Steiner said. "We're doing our best to contribute and make a difference."

Lightfully opens Downtown Santa Barbara outpatient program, expanding access to mental health care on the central coast. PR Newswire SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Lightfully today announced the upcoming opening of Lightfully Santa Barbara, a new outpatient mental health program for adults offering structured day treatment and intensive outpatient care - known clinically as Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP). The program opens July 8 and is now accepting inquiries and referrals. The new Downtown Santa Barbara location offers Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adults, providing structured, evidence-based care for individuals experiencing depression, anxiety disorders, trauma-related conditions, personality disorders, thought disorders, suicidality, and self-harm behaviors. This expansion reflects Lightfully's commitment to increasing access to care across California... The Santa Barbara location represents a strategic response to growing demand for high-quality mental health services in the region. "With the opening of this location, we're continuing our mission to make care more accessible while delivering a level of clinical excellence and personalization that truly meets people where they are," said Jennifer Crute, CEO of Lightfully Behavioral Health. "We're proud to be part of the Santa Barbara community and to support individuals and families in need of care." At the core of Lightfully's approach is its Precision Care Model (PCM), a data-driven, evidence-based framework that combines proven therapeutic techniques to deliver personalized treatment plans tailored to each client's unique needs. This approach is designed to address the underlying drivers of mental health conditions while supporting measurable progress. The Santa Barbara program focuses exclusively on adult PHP and IOP services, complementing Lightfully's broader continuum of care, which includes residential treatment and virtual programs across California. Lightfully works with most major commercial insurance plans to help reduce financial barriers to treatment. About Lightfully Behavioral Health Lightfully Behavioral Health provides evidence-based mental health treatment through a continuum of care, including residential treatment (RTC), partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and virtual programs. Guided by its Precision Care Model, Lightfully delivers personalized treatment designed to address the root drivers of mental health conditions which supports lasting recovery. Lightfully is committed to expanding access to high-quality mental health care across California and beyond. Lightfully Santa Barbara 111 W Micheltorena St. Suite 210 Santa Barbara, CA 93101