Direct Service

Project Name: BAART Programs Turk Street Youth Opioid Response

Partner Agencies: BayMark Community Health

Project Description: BAART Programs Turk Street Youth Opioid Response will address the opioid epidemic in San Francisco for youth and families by increasing medication assisted treatment services; interventions, health care, and behavioral health to the adolescents and transitional age youth (ages 16-24 with parental consent for age s 16 & 17). The goal of the project is to engage the youth challenged with opioid use disorders in a two-pronged model that includes medication assisted treatment and individual and family counseling with an LCSW and Licensed Psychologist. This project was designed based on SOR I and II capacity building efforts to increase access to quality service pathways for youth misusing opioids. This program builds on the lessons learned and success achieved with funding from the State Opioid Response Grants’ (SOR I and II) Hub and Spoke Projects. The work is designed to build sustainable local-level capacity to continuously improve the opioid response to a diverse and underserved youth population.

Primary Contact:

Name: Evelyn Nelson
Position: Treatment Center Director
Agency: BAART Programs
Email: evelynnelson@baartprograms.com
Phone: (415) 928-7800

Project Name: Aldea YOR

Project Description: Aldea is the essential community partner for children and families in crisis.  Implementing the YOR Project will allow Aldea to increase the capacity and access to quality services for youth and young adults (ages 12-24) misusing opioids and/or stimulants, particularly those with Opioid Use and Amphetamine Use Disorders, in Solano County. Through outreach to all Solano County communities, especially rural communities with a high percentage of opioid related overdose, Aldea will engage stakeholders, including a youth advisory council, and partnering agencies to identify gaps and barriers to engagement, treatment, and retention in services.

With our partners and stakeholders, we will provide  youth specific screening,  access to a drop-in center and treatment programs, including medication assisted treatment, and recovery support programs. Outreach and engagement efforts will be multifaceted and will include targeting historically underserved populations including LGBQTI, Latinx, African America, and Asian America/Pacific Islander communities. The lasting impact of this project includes community education, de-stigmatization of harm reduction interventions and treatment, early identification of Opioid Use and Amphetamine Use Disorders, broad community outreach and education, and expedited clear pathways to treatment that support young people and their families.

Primary Contact:

Name: Katie Stith
Position: SUDS Administrative Supervisor
Agency: Aldea
Email: kstith@aldeainc.org
Phone: (707) 913-5756

Website: https://www.aldeainc.org/

Project Name: Quick Start for Youth Program

Project Description: The Quick Start for Youth program within the LA General Medical Center Foundation aims to efficiently connect high-risk priority youth with addiction specialists, with new collaborations between LA County agencies and community members. This initiative will extend the medical model for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) care. Our primary population is current or former child welfare and juvenile justice-involved youth, with a particular focus on those in out-of-home care, specifically foster care. 

We encourage medically-driven approaches to effectively address the needs of youth who are using or misusing opioids and/or stimulants. Long-term, this will lay the foundation for sustainable enhanced programming within County systems. We support successful engagement of youth in their medical home, and ensure medical providers are fluent in treating youth with addiction. By linking youth with dedicated specialists, training service providers in evidence-based strategies, standardizing screening processes, and promoting engagement in medical homes, the Quick Start for Youth seeks to significantly impact the lives of high-risk youth, fostering a supportive path to recovery and well-being. 

Primary Contact:

Name: Lela Mazdyasnian
Position: Addiction and Community Medicine Coordinator
Email: LMazdyasnian@dhs.lacounty.gov 
Wellness Center community phone number: (213) 784-9191

Project Name: West County Community Schools Supportive Services Program

Partners: West Sonoma County Union High School District, Sonoma County Office of Education

Project Description:  As part of a network of community-based organizations, West County Health Centers will backbone and provide direct care and supportive services for students and families with opioid, stimulant and other substance use or misuse disorders within the school environment. This Community School model, in which collaborative services are offered where students and families congregate and systems of services are already connected, allows for a more natural space for integrated addiction and behavioral health services.

This grant will allow for training for staff, community and peers, about harm-reduction, substance use assessment, treatment options, referral to care, care management support, and stigma reduction; MAT for students and families with substance use disorder; psychiatric assessment and treatment for co-morbid mental health disorders; care management and care coordination for students and families; peer training and co-design around support and engagement programs; needle exchange; and Naloxone distribution.

Primary Contact:

Name: Erin Elo
Position: Youth and Gender Services Manager
Email: eelo@wchealth.org
Phone: 707-887-0427

Agency Website:  www.wchealth.org

Project Name: Project Right Now (Pro re Nata)

Description: Project Right Now (PRN) is a new and innovative approach to addressing substance abuse disorders (SUD) among youth. Based on the highly successful Care Response Unit out of the Fort Bragg Police Department, PRN will not only connect youth with services but will work to make a lifelong impact on clients through true wraparound services.

When a youth with SUD is referred to PRN they are first triaged by a liaison who ensures the youth and their family are connected to all available resources. They are then assigned a Success Coach who meets with them in their homes, at school, and when the youth needs it, not just during business hours.

For those youth with SUD who have become ingrained in the criminal justice system, PRN will work directly with courts, prosecutors, and probation to assist with transitioning youth out of the criminal justice system, and into treatment.

Primary Contact:

Name: Thomas O’Neal
Position: Police Captain
Phone: 707-961-2800 ext. 120
Email: toneal@fortbragg.com

Project Name: Pride Youth Resiliency Project

Project Description: The Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance (RPYA) MAT Expansion Project will provide wraparound services to decrease the use of Opioids and other stimulants among transgender and gender diverse youth (TGNB), non-binary, (cisgender youth -children/adolescents whose gender identity and/or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth), and LGB youth of color, ages 12-24 in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

The mission of Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance is to provide a safe, healthy, and enriching environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) youth of the Inland Empire. We provide a safe space for young people to meet, make friends and participate in various weekly events and activities. We also offer support and resources for gender affirmation and community building. We are dedicated to facilitating activities and programs that enrich the lives of LGBTQ+ folks and promote creativity, health, and wellness for the positive mental health of our queer youth.

Primary Contact:

Name: Rev. Benita Ramsey
Email: benita@unityhope.org