Several new initiatives funded through national opioid settlement agreements and federal COVID-era relief dollars are expanding access to behavioral health, substance use and crisis response services in Stockton.
Community Medical Centers (CMC) and Care Solace are coordinating care through a combination of shelter-based recovery programs, mobile response units and centralized referral systems. During a City Council meeting last week, representatives from each program shared updates on their services and the populations they’ve reached.
The programs each serve distinct but overlapping needs, aiming to improve outcomes for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents while reducing pressure on emergency services, according to Chief Behavioral Health Officer Alfonso Apu.
“What we want to do is not only avert the crisis and link them with mental health services, substance-use disorder services, but also really look at them holistically, so they can be stable in the community and reduce the use of, for example, the emergency department and other entities,” Apu said.
Located on North Stanislaus Street in Stockton, the CMC Respite Center provides temporary care to homeless individuals recovering from acute medical or behavioral health conditions. Many patients are discharged directly from local hospitals but still require non-emergency follow-up care, substance use support and help accessing stable housing.
The center is staffed 24/7 by CMC’s clinical teams, including medical providers, behavioral health specialists and substance use counselors. Patients receive onsite care, counseling, and support transitioning to long-term housing or treatment programs. From December 2024 through May 2025, a total of 1,070 bed days were provided by the center’s residential side.
Lei McMiller, CMC’s director of substance use disorder services, said the goal is to connect people with consistent care in a more supportive, cost-effective setting. McMiller said the center was designed as a transitional facility to address a gap in services for individuals actively using substances who are seeking support.
The program is funded by a $500,000 allocation from the national opioid settlement agreements, a nationwide legal settlement requiring opioid manufacturers and distributors to fund treatment, prevention and recovery services in communities hit hardest by the opioid epidemic.
The city of Stockton has received this funding for the past three years and anticipates continued support, according to Alex Bailey, program manager for the city of Stockton.
In an effort to provide an alternative to 911 calls involving mental health or substance use issues, CMC also launched a Mobile Community Response Team (MCRT), supported by $5.76 million in American Rescue Plan funding.
Bailey said that, as of July 1 the expenditures under MCRT total $4 million, or 70% of the budget.
The team includes a licensed clinician, a case manager and a peer support specialist, and is dispatched directly to individuals in public spaces, homes, shelters or encampments who are in distress or in need of immediate support.
Rather than involving police or ambulance services, the MCRT engages individuals directly, offering on-site assessment, crisis de-escalation, referrals to treatment and transportation to appropriate care. The approach is intended to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and law enforcement involvement in health-related matters, while linking people to longer-term recovery options.
Apu said the MCRT has fielded over 15,000 calls since May 2023, including more than 3,000 in the last six months. The majority of calls were for welfare or wellness checks, while other reasons were emotional disturbances, community concerns, behavioral health needs and suicidal ideations.
Care Solace is a free, confidential service available to Stockton residents that helps connect individuals and families to a network of mental health and substance use providers. Services are available in more than 200 languages, with support offered 24/7.
Supported by a $200,000 opioid settlement grant, it partners with schools, shelters, clinics and the justice system to reduce delays in care.
In the last six months, Care Solace has responded to more than 5,600 service requests, most of them within three areas: South Stockton (near MLK Boulevard and Airport Way), North Central Stockton (around Pacific Avenue and March Lane) and Northwest Stockton (near Spanos Park and Eight Mile Road).
Mayor Christina Fugazi commended Care Solace in particular for their work with children and families.
“People knowing that somebody is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, is much needed,” Fugazi said. “It’s an asset to our community.”
Each of the programs is designed to address a specific gap in the region’s behavioral health and recovery infrastructure, whether that gap is the lack of low-barrier shelter options, the absence of non-law enforcement crisis responders, or the fragmentation of the mental health care system.
The use of opioid settlement funds and American Rescue Plan Act dollars allows the city and its partners to pilot these programs at scale, while planning for long-term sustainability. The focus remains on supporting recovery, reducing harm and helping Stockton residents move toward stability and wellness.
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