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Behavioral Health Minimize
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- Coordinated, Community, Street-Based Treatment Services -

- Sustainable Integrated Services for the Most Vulnerable -

 

Our Healing the Streets evaluation project grant has ended and based on our learnings over the past 2 years we will be launching an Integrated Housing and Recovery Team (IHRT) as part of Specialty Behavioral Health (SBH) services.

IHRT will continue to provide field-based case management, peer support, outreach, and street medicine.  Qualifications to enroll are individuals that are unhoused /precariously housed, 18+, and meet the criteria for SBH services.

Criteria will be assessed by the Access team.  IHRT will continue to partner with the County’s Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) and provide housing continuum services through Housing For Health. 

 

Street Medicine Community Resources

Santa Cruz County Resource Guide

[Click on plus sign (+) to expand topic / Click on minus sign (-) to collapse topic]

Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) has benefit representatives that can help you with Medi-Cal, CalFresh (food stamps), CalWorks (cash aid for families), General Assistance (GA) and other programs.  Contact them to speak with a representative, or to make an appointment.  

  • Food Not Bombs occasionally has free clothing.  You can find them in various locations in Downtown Santa Cruz each day serving dinner.
  • Sub-Rosa Cafe has a Really Really Free Market every second Sunday of the month, where you can obtain (or donate) items, including clothing, for free. They are located at 703 Pacific Avenue.

Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) provides COVID19 vaccinations and boosters shots (Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen are available).  Pfizer is available for children ages 5 and up; they must be accompanied by parent/guardian to receive the vaccine.  We try to schedule vaccinations on Thursdays, but can accommodate people any day of the week.
  
COVID19 Testing is available on a walk-in basis as well.  They also have a supply of home test kits (free) for all patients (while supplies last).  Contact HPHP for more information.

  • Dientes - provides affordable, high-quality, and comprehensive dental care for patients who are on public insurance or are uninsured. Locations available throughout the county, including the Coral Street Clinic; call HPHP ((831) 454-2080) for a current schedule.

  • Food Not Bombs serves a healthy dinner each day at various locations in Downtown Santa Cruz.

  • Loaves and Fishes in Watsonville offers a healthy lunch and a pantry program every weekday.
    They are located at 150 2nd Street.
Food

  • Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) - HPHP provides a number of services to people experiencing homelessness and low-income populations of Santa Cruz County. Their staff of physicians and doctors can diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments and diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, wounds and more. Tests including Pap Smears, PPD (tuberculosis skin test), and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) are also performed at our clinic.

    They offer treatment for Hepatitis-C, which can effectively cure this virus by reducing the viral load to undetectable levels.    

    Referrals can be made for labs, tests and local specialists as part of your treatment plan.

    Their clinic and public health nurses can triage, diagnose and treat many medical issues.  You can also find public health nurses out in the community during their outreach hours, providing medical care to people.  No appointment is necessary to see one of their nursing staff during clinic hours.

Health Care
  • Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) - HPHP provides permanent supportive housing to over 100 people throughout the county, through a series of federally funded grants.  All housing referrals are made through the county’s Smart Path Coordinated Entry process, managed by the Human Services Department.  HPHP provides a number of services to people experiencing homelessness and low-income populations of Santa Cruz County
Housing and Homeless Services
211 Legal Resources
  • The United States Post Office (USPS) at 850 Front Street in Santa Cruz offers General Delivery services. There is no charge to receive your mail at the Post Office.  Click here to view rules and regulations.
  • Mail and package pickup is also available at Housing Matters at 115 Coral Street.  Applications are available at their front desk or mailroom.

If someone is having a mental health emergency
call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room if you can safely get there.

Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health Crisis Services

Mental Health Services
Post Incarceration/Reentry
Substance Use Disorder Resources

 

  • MAT Team -  Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of substance use disorders. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs combine group and one-on-one meetings with medications to reduce pain and cravings. This helps to reduce the need to use, and sustains recovery and health. Intakes are available by appointment; call for more information. The MAT Team is comprised of healthcare professions that work with clients to develop individualized treatment plans.

Watsonville MAT Outreach Schedule

Day Time Location
Mondays 8am - 12pm River Park
Thursdays 8am - 12pm Pajaro Levy
Fridays 8am - 12pm Ramsey Park
 

Treatment For Opiate, Crystal Meth or Alcohol Use with Medicine like Suboxone call: (831) 454-4808

For All Other Health Care Needs call: (831) 454-2080

  • Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) - Phone and video appointments are available.  We encourage first time patients to be seen in person prior to any telehealth appointments.  For more information, please contact HPHP.
Transportation

Mobile Street Medicine Team Services

The Mobile Street Medicine Team provides services by a field-based team and mobile health van. The mobile outreach team provides services at the locations in the schedule below:

Services include: 

  • Basic medical exams & treatment including:
    • wounds
    • insect bites
    • accompanying aches and pains of sleeping outside
    • and other health care services including: COVID-19 vaccines/testing and HIV/Hepatitis C testing, and more
  • Help with making appointments for health treatment
  • MAT Team (for opiate/drug treatment)
  • Healing the Streets (HTS) enrollment information

NOTE: The schedule below does not provide services on holidays (including 3/31/22)

Outreach Team Schedule

Santa Cruz

Days Times Locations
1st and 3rd Thursday of each month
AND
2nd and 4th
Wednesday of each month
 10am - 12pm

Armory - located at 301 Armory Rd.

Watsonville

Days Times Locations
Mondays 8:30am - 11:30am Linear Park - Union St at Front St
Mondays 1pm - 4pm Salvation Army - 114 Union Street
Thursdays 8:30am - 11:30am Linear Park - Union St at Front St

Healing the Streets Program & Services

A value of the HTS team is to take the lead from clients in setting goals and accessing services that they identify as a priority. The core HTS team (composed of County Behavioral Health staff and contracted Front St. Inc. case manager and peer staff members) work with key Health Services Agency staff across divisions to provide low barrier access to services and to increase client engagement.  

HTS staff work collaboratively with a multitude of Watsonville and Santa Cruz agencies serving vulnerable populations that are experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges.

The HTS team works alongside these agencies to support clients in need in the following areas: 

  • Behavioral Health 
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Food
  • Healthcare
  • Street Medicine Support
  • Benefits eligibility 
  • Housing navigation
  • Reentry into all mentioned services

How to Get Enrolled

The qualifications to enroll into HTS are:

  • Experiencing homeless or unstable housing
    AND

Interested in enrolling into Healing the Streets?
Use our referral form to contact us or call us at (831) 454-4352. One of our Healing the Streets team members will respond and let you know what you need to qualify.

Meet the HTS Team!

Kayla
Lindsey
 Eric
Karen
Patrice
 Trish
Clayton James David