Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2023, $1,300,000)
County of San Luis Obispo’s Behavioral Health Department/Drug and
Alcohol Services Division, along with their partners at Superior Court, Probation and Sheriff
Departments seeks the Category 1b Local Application (Suburban Area) grant to serve clients
through Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP). The County
of San Luis Obispo is a medium-size jurisdiction in California (pop. 283,159) that proposes to
provide 200 individuals suffering from opiate use and stimulant use disorders (the fourth wave of
the opioid epidemic) with evidence-based therapy and Recovery Residences. The target
population is adults that have both opiate and stimulant use disorder, primarily
methamphetamine, who are at high-risk for overdose. The amount of funding requested is
$1,300,000 for this three-year grant. Project Strategy and Partnerships: San Luis Obispo County
is the 11th least affordable housing market in the United States (2017). The proposed
enhancement is to provide Recovery Residence stays (Drug and Alcohol-free Living) to all
COSSUP participants in San Luis Obispo County who need this level of care for up to 90 days.
All Recovery Residences provided funding with this grant will be MAT compliant to serve those
with opiate use disorders. In addition, this grant will provide for two Behavioral Health
Specialist I (Case Managers) to provide intensive case management services to COSSUP
participants while in-custody and while in treatment after being released from custody. The Case
Manager will provide transportation and an initial supply of hygiene items to provide a warm
welcome from custody to outpatient treatment in conjunction with the Recovery Residence.
Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a brief treatment intervention, this grant
proposes to address both mental health and substance use disorders in a coordinated integrated
care to provide the bridge from County Jail to community-based treatment. Project Outcomes:
When successful, participants in the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use
Program will have achieved and sustained a lifestyle of sobriety and recovery, including learning
CBT skills to better manage their lives. There will be decreased criminal recidivism, decreased
impact on the criminal justice and behavioral health care systems, and re-stabilized lives.