Breaking the cycle of crisis with stability and dignity

For many Californians living with serious mental illness and behavioral health challenges, finding help is a complex process. Navigating fragmented systems often fails to lead to long-term stability, causing individuals to cycle between emergency rooms, jails, and homelessness without consistent support.

Harjit Singh Gill is working to change that. A licensed clinical social worker and behavioral health leader, Gill connects behavioral health services, housing, and reentry support to make it easier for people to access and stay in care. By understanding how large systems operate, he works creatively within them to break the cycles of homelessness and incarceration. 

Gill’s approach is rooted in a simple philosophy: meet people where they are. Today, as the Regional Vice President for Bay Area Community Services (BACS), Harjit has helped expand a full spectrum of community-based services that now serve thousands of vulnerable residents every year. Key impacts of his work include:

• Forensic full service partnerships: He oversaw the development of a Sacramento forensic treatment facility located near the county jail. This location houses both a Full-Service Partnership for individuals in the justice system and an outpatient program, allowing clients to seamlessly step up or down in care intensity as their needs change.
• Deeply affordable housing development: Harjit partnered with Anthem Blue Cross to convert a downtown Sacramento motel into 42 affordable housing units, ensuring vulnerable community members have a safe, lasting place to live.
• Dignified care environments: He invested heavily in the physical layout of BACS’ core and wellness sites – featuring natural lighting, artwork, and modern amenities to create an environment that reflects clients’ dignity and human worth.
• Client agency and trust: Harjit developed a care model centered on meeting individuals without stigma or judgment, establishing the deep trust necessary to accompany vulnerable clients through their recovery journey on their own terms.

Those who work with Harjit note his empathy, integrity, and alignment with social work values. He brings an adaptive approach to solving large-scale institutional problems, while actively supporting frontline care teams and keeping his focus on the human beings behind the policies.

By proving that coordinated care, stable housing, and permanent supportive solutions are vital to recovery, Harjit helps individuals move past short-term crisis management toward long-term stability. For his dedication to improving California’s mental health systems, the Steinberg Institute is proud to honor Harjit Singh Gill as a 2026 Champion.

In addition to being a 2026 Steinberg Institute Champion, Harjit Singh Gill was also chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Richard Van Horn Award. Read more about the Richard Van Horn Award here.