Stockton, CA – At its Board meeting today, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors proudly marked more than a year of success with its San Joaquin County CARES (SJ CARES) initiative, a program of the San Joaquin County Probation Department. Designed to connect vulnerable residents with critical services, SJ CARES has proven to be a lifeline for hundreds of individuals and families.
In the past 14 months, SJ CARES outreach teams have made more than 4,400 contacts, engaging with 770 unique individuals across San Joaquin County. Of those, more than onethird agreed to actively work with SJ CARES staff, demonstrating trust and success in the program’s person-centered approach.
To date, 484 people have been directly linked to supportive services ranging from behavioral health and medical care to housing assistance. Through these efforts, 85 individuals have transitioned off the streets, with nearly one-third securing permanent housing and others successfully reunified with family members.
“Our mission has always been to meet people where they are, to see them with dignity, to treat them with respect, and to walk beside them as they take the hard steps toward stability,” said Paul Canepa, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. “SJ CARES is not just a program, it is proof that when we refuse to give up on people, lives are transformed. Every person who finds housing, every family that is reunited, every neighbor who regains hope makes our community stronger, safer, and more compassionate.”
Community partners have quickly embraced the program. Since its launch, SJ CARES has received 113 referrals from residents and local organizations. Nearly half of those individuals chose to place their trust in the program by signing releases of information, opening the door for probation and partner agencies to work together and deliver personalized care. San Joaquin County Chief Probation Officer Steve Jackson noted, “The most powerful feedback we hear is from clients themselves. One recently told us, ‘You guys did not give up on me. You kept coming back. That was the help I needed.’ That is exactly what SJ CARES is about—persistence, compassion, and connection.”
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors launched SJ CARES as part of a larger effort to address homelessness, public safety, and behavioral health challenges in innovative and collaborative ways. By blending probation services with community outreach, the initiative demonstrates that both accountability and compassion are necessary to achieve positive outcomes.
“Every individual housed, every person connected to services, represents a victory not only for the individual but for our entire county,” said Chair Canepa. “SJ CARES is proof that when we invest in people, we all benefit.”
For more information about SJ CARES, or to make a referral, visit sjcprobation.org.
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