Stockton, CA – Earlier this week, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors were presented with a proposed plan for its $53 million portion of the National Opioid Settlement over the next 18 years.

The central feature of proposed activities is the development of the San Joaquin (SJ) Be Well Campus. SJ Be Well will be a one-stop shop with a campus of facilities, proposed in two phases, on County-owned land in French Camp. Phase one will include dual diagnosis point of entry, a sobering center, medical detoxification, a psychiatric health facility, and a crisis stabilization unit. The Health Plan of San Joaquin will contribute a substantial capital contribution through Community Reinvestment Funds as well as their facilitation of a feasibility study around the construction, operation, and staffing elements of the project. The targeted completion for this phase is FY 2025-2026. The second phase includes transitional residential cottages, expanded perinatal programming, a youth substance use disorder residential treatment facility, and youth after-care outpatient programs.

“The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis that continues to impact the lives and erode the quality of life of many residents in San Joaquin County,” said Robert Rickman, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.” “The funding will be used for treatment, recovery, and prevention and will save lives in San Joaquin County. Our investment into new treatment facilities and services that targets the entirety of addiction is critical to success for long-term recovery.”

“The Opioid settlement represents a once in a generation opportunity to lay the groundwork for significant capital investments into new treatment facilities and services that will ultimately be supported by billable services,” said Greg Diederich, Director, Health Care Services Agency. “The vision is for the SJ Be Well campus to eventually expand to address a full continuum of mental health, substance use, and homeless services needed within our County.”

Current County efforts to combat the Opioid crisis include:

• Substance abuse prevention treatment
• Prevention services, in partnership with the San Joaquin County Office of Education
• Drug and DUI Courts
• Opioid Safety Coalition
• Naloxone Distribution Program
• Opioid Safety Public Outreach
• Provider Education
• District Attorney Fentanyl Messaging Campaign: One Pill Can Kill
• San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Community Revitalization Unit (CRU)
• San Joaquin General Hospital Addiction Medicine Team
• San Joaquin General Hospital Substance Use Navigator
• Substance Use Navigator at San Joaquin Health Clinics
• Integrated Care
  

“Our County has an opportunity to lead the way in holistic dual-diagnosis and substance use awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery which has been underfunded for decades,” said Genevieve Valentine, Director, Behavioral Health Services. “It’s an exciting time!”

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