The County of Santa Cruz announced more than $3 million in State and federal grants to improve health care delivery and services for local residents. These grants will assist with facility improvements and expansion, and projects that will benefit clients needing crisis intervention and stabilization, mental health care and primary care services. The grants were awarded to the County’s Health Services Agency.
“We work hard competing for grants to improve services for all our clients,” Health Services Agency Director Giang Nguyen said. “I appreciate my staff’s dedication and tireless effort to protect and improve the health of our community.”
The largest grant was $1.2 million from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) that provides capital funding for the continued operation of 2nd Story, a peer-operated, adult crisis respite program that began in 2010 and after a five-year federal grant expired was scheduled to end in 2015. 2nd Story is operated by Encompass Community Services which has been searching for a new home since the building that housed the program was sold.
“We are pleased that this grant will provide funding to permanently house the program,” said Erik Riera, Director of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the County of Santa Cruz. For more information, go to www.encompasscs.org/community-support-services/2nd-story.
A $925,000 grant from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) will help remodel the clinic facility which serves Medi-Cal clients and other low-income populations and expand exam rooms at the 1080 Emeline Ave. clinic.
Another HRSA $625,000 grant will assist to establish medication-assisted therapy clinics case management and staff training for patients with substance use disorders at county-run clinics.
“We are thrilled to expand and enhance our services,” said Amy Peeler, Santa Cruz County’s Chief of Clinic Services.
A third grant, for $247,000 and also issued by CHFFA, will fund renovations to significantly expand facilities to serve youths at the behavioral health unit, significantly improving response times for those children and their families. The grant will also support and expand the capabilities of the County’s Mobile Emergency Response Team (MERT).
The County is grateful to our partners at the State and federal level for their assistance in improving health care for Santa Cruz County residents.