County Health Receives California Community Reinvestment Grant

County of Santa Barbara Health Department (County  Health) has been awarded a California Community Reinvestment Grant (CalCRG) in the amount of $2.9M.

The grant is funded through the Governor’s Office of Business and  Economic Development to help communities who have been disproportionately impacted  by past government drug policies—also known as “The War on Drugs.” 

Specifically, areas in Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Guadalupe have all been identified by  the State CalCRG Program as areas that have been disproportionately impacted by the  WOD. Santa Barbara County recently conducted two community health needs  assessments (a regional assessment and a farmworker needs assessment) that revealed  that 31% of regional participants did not have health insurance and 52% of farmworkers  did not have health insurance.

The grant funding will be utilized to focus on connecting  priority populations with the healthcare and resources that they need. Identified priority  populations include monolingual Latino communities, farmworkers, low income families  and individuals, and people experiencing homelessness in Lompoc, Santa Maria, and  Guadalupe. 

Grant funds will be available throughout the funding period which starts in fiscal year 2025  and ends on May 31, 2028. County Health will use these funds toward efforts to increase  treatment for substance use disorder, system navigation services, and linkages to  medical care for community members in need in the North and Central County regions. 

Specific deliverables for the grant include: 

• Increasing the number of clients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) who  receive treatment for addiction through the Medication Assisted Treatment  Program (MAT) 
• Connecting clients to services that advance their economic, social, physical and  emotional wellbeing 
• Assisting clients with health care enrollment and access to primary care and  wellness services 

Additionally, County Health will launch a new initiative called “The Care Hub”, a gateway  to identifying clients, assessing their need for services, and ensuring that the appropriate  referrals are made for those services. The Care Hub will focus on connecting Santa  Barbara County residents with the care and resources that they need. This includes  assistance with health insurance, resources for children, finances, substance use  treatment, food, housing, mental health, and system navigation. 

If you or someone you know needs help with any of the above, please fill out the intake  form through FindHelp: Care Hub Intake Form