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Welcome to the Coalinga State Hospital website. CSH is owned and operated by the State of California and is the newest state-of-the-art forensic facility in the Department of Mental Health system. The State’s goal in the design and construction of this hospital is to ensure a secure and safe environment for patients and staff, while providing the patients with the highest level of therapeutic treatment. Please see Model Sex Offender Treatment Program for a more detailed discussion about the patients and the treatment program.
The maximum-secured forensic facility will ultimately hold up to 1,500 patients – both sexually violent predators and mentally ill inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
This facility is a critical part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s very clear goal to protect Californian’s from sexual predators. Rather than having some of the most serious sex offenders released into the community after serving their criminal sentences, these predators will come to this maximum security psychiatric hospital to receive critical treatment and evaluation.
Coalinga State Hospital is a community within a community and is a full-service hospital, dedicated to rehabilitating the seriously mentally ill.
When the facility is fully operational, it will be the largest employer in the Coalinga area with an annual operating budget of $152 million and more than 2,000 staff. I encourage you to review our Human Resources page and see if there is a position for you.
I am pleased to introduce Coalinga State Hospital Executive Team. These individuals bring the credentials, as well as the experience to implement the activation of the hospital. If we can be of any assistance, please feel free to give us a call.
Norm Kramer
Executive Director (Interim)
Mr. Kramer began acting as the interim Executive Director at CSH on August 28, 2007. Mr. Kramer's career in mental health and developmental disabilities has spanned over 38 years. Mr. Kramer has served as the director of one State Hospital and Developmental Center and three Developmental Centers and was the Deputy Director of the Department of Developmental Services, responsible for the operations of all of the Developmental Centers in California. Mr. Kramer had retired but agreed to return as an annuitant and direct the operations at CSH while a permanent Executive Director was selected and appointed.
Pamela Ahlin
Hospital Administrator (Acting)
Ms. Ahlin brings 16 years of state service including many years of managerial experience to the executive team at Coalinga State Hospital. She previously served as the Assistant Hospital Administrator for several years and was instrumental in the activation of the facility. Prior to joining the Department of Mental Health, Ms. Ahlin spent many of her years with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation serving as a Business Manager, Staff Manager, Analyst and also as a peace officer. Ms. Ahlin was appointed as the Acting Hospital Administrator in April of 2007.
Dr. Joginder Singh
Medical Director (Acting)
Dr. Joginder Singh began acting as the Medical Director for Coalinga State Hospital In February 2007. Dr. Singh has 12 years of experience as a Staff Psychiatrist working with the forensic population. He also has 25 years of Internal Medicine experience working as an Assistant Professor for the Department of Medicine in India.
Rocky Spurgeon
Clinical Administrator (Acting)
Mr. Spurgeon brings over 24 years of experience in state service. His career began in 1983 with Atascadero State Hospital working with the Mentally Disordered Sex Offender population. He served in many supervisory and managerial positions during his 21 year tenure with Atascadero. He was the Assistant to the Clinical Administrator at Atascadero before he joined Coalinga State Hospital as a Program Director in 2004. He has been instrumental in the activation of Coalinga State Hospital and in the development of the Sexually Violent Predator treatment program. Mr. Spurgeon was appointed as the Acting Clinical Administrator in July of 2007.
Janet Smith,
RN, C, MSN
Coordinator of Nursing Services
Ms. Smith has experience in both the private and public sector. She began her career as a Psychiatric Technician and progressed her education to a Masters in Nursing Science. She has 36 years experience as a nurse manager, educator and consultant.