Serving our unhoused residents
Overview
The County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department (BHSD) will provide temporary housing and services for 78 unhoused adults at the Monterey site, and up to 12 at the Vermont location. The sites will continue to serve unhoused residents as they have been in their current use. BHSD has been working with the City of San José on the site use changes and is meeting with neighborhood residents ahead of the San José City Council’s final decision on the sale of the properties. At these sites, the County will offer temporary housing and services to unhoused, justice-involved people who enroll in a voluntary diversion program. This program aims to reduce incarceration, protect public safety, and promote healthy communities. Participating in this program and staying at these housing locations will improve residents' wellness, aid their recovery, and help them transition to long-term housing. The program helps keep justice-involved people off the streets.
Proposed Purchase Overview
The County of Santa Clara has made an offer to purchase the existing Emergency Interim Housing sites at 1072 and 1082 Vermont Street and 6066 Monterey Road from the City of San José.
FAQs
Community Engagement Meetings
Why
Providing dedicated beds for those receiving behavioral health treatment, especially if they're homeless, increases their chances of successful treatment and reintegration back into the community. People with mental illnesses or substance use disorders often end up unhoused and in the justice system, but stable housing can help improve their condition.
Target Population
Unhoused men and women with behavioral health conditions, who have varying levels of involvement with the justice system, are given the opportunity to voluntarily participate in programs; participants choose to receive temporary housing, treatment, and support.
Many program participants will have minimal involvement with the justice system. Some candidates will be participants of formal diversion programs, which require approval from justice system partners including the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, and the Courts. California Penal Code Section 1001.36 requires that candidates in formal diversion programs be people who the Court has determined will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety if treated in the community. California Penal Code Section 1001.36 (d) includes a list of charges that would make someone ineligible for the diversion program.
The code also requires mental health providers serving people enrolled in this program to provide regular treatment progress reports to the court, the defense, and the prosecutor. In addition, the BHSD’s staff performs an assessment to ensure that the client is amenable to treatment, which is shared with the contracted treatment provider, who has to agree to accept the client into treatment.
In order to participate in the program:
- Participants must voluntarily choose to participate in the program
- Must meet criteria in the relevant penal code and be people whom the court has determined will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety if treated in the community
- Must be approved to participate by the court, District Attorney and their own attorney
- Must be assessed by BHSD to ensure they are amenable to treatment
- Contracted treatment provider must agree to accept the client into treatment
- Contracted treatment providers must provide regular treatment progress reports to the court, the defense, and the prosecutor. Violations of the program will lead to participants being remanded back into custody.
Our Goals
With the goals of improving program residents’ wellness and recovery and helping them move to long-term housing, the County (through contracted provider partners) will provide the following:
- Temporary housing while people work toward long-term housing; people will stay an estimated 12-18 months. Both sites will be staffed 24/7, and the Monterey site will include 24/7 security guards.
- Temporary Housing at 6066 Monterey Road and 1072/1082 Vermont Street, San Jose: Overview and talking points – August 20, 2024
- Housing navigation support to identify needs and opportunities, develop a housing plan, and help people identify and secure housing.
- Basic needs support, including meals, toiletries, referrals to clothes closets, and transportation support.
- Outpatient treatment, including case management, planning, counseling, therapy, medication, crisis intervention, and recovery services as appropriate to the resident.
- On-site support groups, which could include topics such as coping strategies, resilience, and emotional regulation.
- Referrals to employment assistance, community-building activities, and connection to meaningful daily activity.
- Program participants will be monitored by and meet regularly with their court-ordered community supervision staff.