- San Diego Opens Doors To New Sobering Center For Homeless, The “First Of Its Kind In The City.” The Times Of San Diego reports on “Father Joe’s Villages,” a new “44-bed inpatient detox facility,” with a “sober recovery floor that can house 250 [people],” along with access to treatment and services with trained healthcare staff at “an on-site clinic,” and ongoing help to “find permanent housing” for all patients. City Councilmember Raul Campillo, who championed the center, said that the center “delivers critical care…[that will allow] more San Diegans [to] be empowered to take brave steps toward recovery and reclaiming their lives.”
- In Oregon, Grants Pass Sobering Center Plays Important Role “Addressing Substance Use Issues And Public Safety.” Citizen Portal reports on the recent Grants Pass city council meeting which centered on the long-standing Sobering Center and its positive impact on the city serving an “essential function… to community safety and health.” For KOBI5, Lauren Pretto reports that trained healthcare staff at the center provide “direct care to those impaired by alcohol or other substances” and allows patients to “stay up to 24 hours with the ability to take a shower and walk away with some extra clothes if needed.”
Marie Hill, Director of the Grants Pass Sobering Center, explained to the news station that the sobering center “benefits the community by providing resources to those who need it and reducing the burden on law enforcement and emergency departments,” so much so that “city police tend to advocate for [the center’s] services with the rest of the city,” because of the vital public safety role it now plays. The center, which has been in operation since 2016, “averages two to three admissions per day, with approximately 400 people utilizing its services annually.”
