SLO County opens first sobering center to help people as they detox. Take a look inside

San Luis Obispo County residents who need a safe space to detox from drugs or alcohol have a new facility where they can go to get care.

The sobering center, located behind the San Luis Obispo County Health Agency campus on Johnson Avenue, was designed to provide services for people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol by providing medical and social services, as well as short-term housing.

The center is the first of its kind in the county, allowing the county Behavioral Health Department to provide resources for people currently in the throws of addiction and actively under the influence — a level of care that was not previously accessible in San Luis Obispo County.

Initially funded by CenCal Health, a San Luis Obispo-based healthcare nonprofit, the sobering center will be operated by team members from Good Samaritan, a Santa Maria-based nonprofit that provides homelessness and substance abuse services.

Sobering center to provide free place to stay for people detoxing

In an interview with The Tribune, Good Samaritan director Sylvia Barnard said she is excited about the opening of the organization’s largest sobering center and to be able to provide the community with care to treat people actively under the influence.

So how does it work?

“Oftentimes outreach workers will identify someone, and then they will come in here or they will be in a shelter, and then we would allow them to sober up and work with our staff to make sure that they are medically stable,” Barnard said. “Then we would start working triage with our staff to identify additional care.”

The center includes 12 beds, showers and a stocked kitchen for patients to clean up, get food and rest during their stay. Extra clothes will be available for anyone in need of clean clothes when they arrive.

There is also an accessible bedroom and shower available for people using a wheelchair. The center was expected to provide 24/7 care for those using it.

Admission to the sobering center is free of charge, though patients with MediCal will be billed.

According to a news release, stays at the center could range from as short as six hours to as long as three days. It is open for people of all genders over the age of 18.

There are also private spaces available for people staying at the center to take virtual medical appointments and work with staff to secure additional resources like long-term counseling and addiction services or housing.

Patients will be able to work with a varied staff including medical workers, treatment counselors, case managers and peer recovery coaches, according to a FAQ sheet given out during a tour of the facility

The sobering center began taking patients Monday at 8 a.m.

Barnard advised that people seeking immediate care should call ahead to ensure that a bed is available, but walk-ins are always welcome.

Why did SLO County need new sobering center?

In an interview with The Tribune, Behavioral Health Department director Dr. Star Graber said the center aims to divert the incarceration of people dealing with substance use or mental health issues.

“This is a funnel to get into services,” she said.

However, she noted, there is a limit to the capacity of the care center and those that are excessively intoxicated past the point of being able to move themselves would be transferred to a nearby emergency room to receive immediate medical care.

“Folks can go to the emergency room and then go here if they need medical attention first,” Graber said. “Folks can come here if they are able to have a wheelchair or a walker or a cane and they are able to move themselves.”

Services at the center will be entirely voluntary. Those in need of more intensive mental health care may be transferred to a nearby hospital or outpatient mental health care facility, according to Graber.

The center will operate in tandem with other addiction and homeless services offices on the Health Agency campus, including the Psychiatric Health Facility, the Crisis Stabilization Unit, Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Services and Adult Mental Health Services.

Close proximity to other health agency resources will allow patients to be easily transferred to longer term care if needed, Barnard said.

Next door to the sobering center, the Health Agency’s Addiction Services building will provide patients with access to longer-term addiction counseling.

Barnard told The Tribune the center will follow the Housing First model, an initiative from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that prioritizes securing long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness before requiring changes in income or substance use.

“The unique part about this model is that we are co-located with all of these services in partnership with the county,” Barnard said. “This is like the perfect storm for us. It’s a gift. We will just work in tandem constantly to triage.”

The center will be funded by CenCal Health for the first year of its operations.

According to the release, over the course of the first year, Good Samaritan will develop a plan to secure the center’s future funding through government or social services, business or hospital donations and fundraising events.

The center can be reached by phone at the Behavioral Health Department at 800-838-1381 or at slocounty.ca.gov/departments/health-agency/behavioral-health/drug-alcohol-services/services/sobering-center.