“We are here today because public safety and behavioral health need to work hand in hand,” District Attorney Thien Ho said during the launch of the District Attorney’s Chronic Offender Rehabilitation Effort, known as CORE.
Individuals experiencing substance use disorders or mental health challenges may cycle in and out of jail when they have not been able to access or find a sustainable pathway to treatment, recovery and stability. This cycle can include an arrest or citation, a court appearance, release and subsequent involvement with the justice system.
To help create a new pathway forward, the Sacramento County Department of Health Services, Behavioral Health Services Division has established Peer-Led Integrated Recovery and Housing, a new behavioral health program serving individuals referred through the District Attorney’s CORE population. The program is delivered in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and community provider Monarch Recovery Center.
Peer-Led Integrated Recovery and Housing connects eligible individuals with treatment, peer support, housing and recovery services while promoting accountability and community safety. The program recognizes that lasting change requires more than a temporary intervention, it requires coordinated services and sustained support that respond to each person’s needs.
“This is a partnership,” said Supervisor Pat Hume. “I’m glad to hear that it’s the first of its kind in the state because it’s a model for how we braid together different disciplines toward a solution for people who are struggling.”
Through this partnership, the Sacramento County Department of Health Services, Behavioral Health Services Division provides behavioral health assessments and funding to support treatment and recovery capacity at Monarch Recovery Center. Participants may receive substance use disorder treatment, mental health services, case management, care coordination, counseling, peer support and other recovery services.
Monarch Recovery Center is also providing 25 sober living beds and support for participants for up to one year. The combination of peer-led services, integrated treatment and stable housing is intended to help participants establish a sustainable foundation for recovery.
The program balances treatment and recovery with accountability. Participants are expected to remain engaged in treatment, attend required court appearances and remain crime-free. Individuals who successfully complete the program may avoid jail time, while those who do not complete the program may face consequences through the criminal justice system.
“This isn’t an absence of accountability. This is an opportunity with standards,” Ho said. “What we are trying to do here is to replace repetition with rehabilitation. To replace the revolving door with recovery.”
The need for accessible treatment and a new pathway forward can be significant. During the program launch, Ho shared the story of an individual who came to Sacramento to play sports, experienced an injury and later developed a substance use disorder. After becoming unhoused and cycling through the justice system, the individual was connected to treatment, achieved sobriety and reunited with family.
The story demonstrates what can happen when people are connected to appropriate treatment, housing and support at the right time.
“That’s an example of success,” Ho said. “But what we have been lacking over and over again is a consistent place where they can get treatment.”
Through Peer-Led Integrated Recovery and Housing, Sacramento County is helping individuals served through the District Attorney’s CORE initiative move beyond repeated justice-system involvement and toward recovery, housing stability and a healthier future.