For years, Sacramento County has shared stories of individuals who have struggled with homelessness, connected to services and are now housed. Each story has a different beginning and middle, but the goal of the Department of Health Service’s Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART) is that they all have the same ending – healing, recovery and support. This Homeless Awareness Month we would like to shine a light on how HEART has helped this community over the last four years and what the team hopes to see in the future.
When HEART began in October 2021, the community was still navigating the impacts of COVID-19, and homelessness had reached crisis levels. The goal of HEART is and was to improve access to behavioral health services for individuals experiencing homelessness and meeting people where they are - literally and figuratively.
What started as a two-person team, a Mental Health Counselor and a Program Coordinator, has grown into a network of more than 30 staff, including counselors, behavioral health peer specialists and administrative and managerial support. With that growth, the County pursued and successfully received a Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) grant, enabling the creation of nearly 300 desperately needed shelter beds for individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health conditions. HEART serves as the front door for BHBH, building rapport with clients, arranging transportation into the shelter, and ensuring a warm hand off to one of the County’s behavioral health providers.
In just one recent quarter, April–June 2025, HEART made 878 outreach and engagement attempts, actively connected with 208 individuals and referred 169 of those to behavioral health programs. But for the team, numbers only tell part of the story.
“Sometimes we are a lifeline to people who are ready for change but didn’t know how to access support,” said Cait Paulson, Health Program Manager. “Other times it might be weeks or months before someone agrees to services. For HEART, connection means being consistent, empathetic and ready when the client is ready.”
That human connection has led to countless success stories, some big, some small, but all deeply meaningful. One memorable moment involved an unhoused individual who arrived for placement carrying his pet goldfish in a small paper cup.
“I will never forget an unhoused individual that brought his goldfish in a dixie cup when we placed him into a BHBH shelter bed” said Kelsey Parker, Mental Health Program Coordinator. “He was beyond resourceful, and he was so excited to finally have shelter for him and his pet fish. It was such a touching reminder that everyone deserves a chance at stability and care.”
As the first person hired to build the HEART team, Paulson reflected on how far they’ve come.
“It’s incredible to still see faces that I hired four years ago and to watch new ones join as we grow,” she said. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and excited to see what’s next.”
Looking ahead, the team hopes to continue growing and refining its approach as new resources become available.
“Homelessness is changing,” Paulson said. “It still exists, but we can do something about it. We have so many resources, and we have to continue to share the knowledge, empower people to make steps toward change and recovery, and cheer each other on.”
Learn more about the incredible staff and what drives the team through The Heart of HEART video series. Hear their stories and discover fun facts about the staff who make this mission possible.
Amy - a Senior Behavioral Health Peer Specialist with HEART. She knows what it’s like to experience homelessness, and now she uses her lived experience to help others. Amy goes out to encampments with a clinician, building trust and connecting people with behavioral health services.
Kandyce- a Senior Mental Health Counselor with HEART. Kandyce spends her days walking into encampments, sitting down with people in their space, and simply listening. Her work helps connect people to the right community providers and supports their journey out of homelessness.
Terri - a Senior Mental Health Counselor with HEART. One of her responsibilities includes conducting mental health assessments with clients. She hopes through these assessments and caring conversations that HEART can help bridge the gap to housing and services.
Nique - a Senior Mental Health Counselor with HEART who helps people get linked to services. She thinks it’s important to be an advocate and give people a voice especially as a woman of color. When visiting encampments, Nique may not always connect right away, but she always leaves a card and makes sure to follow up.
Justin - a Senior Mental Health Counselor with HEART. As a counselor he does outreach to various encampments throughout the County to help connect unhoused individuals to housing and behavioral health services. Outside of work, Justin enjoys hiking and watching movies, particularly Star Wars.