Santa Barbara County Opens New Supportive Housing Facility and Sobering Center
Tecolote House and the 14-bed Sobering Center expand behavioral health services, offering supportive housing and stabilization for people facing mental health and substance use challenges.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Santa Barbara County is expanding its behavioral health services with two new facilities designed to help people experiencing mental health challenges and substance use disorders.
Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness celebrated the opening of Tecolote House and the new Sobering Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Monday, October 19.
The facilities are located next to each other at 310 Camino Del Remedio in Santa Barbara and provide different types of support for people at various stages of recovery.
Tecolote House offers supportive housing
Operated by PathPoint, Tecolote House is a 12-bed adult residential facility providing interim supportive housing.
The program is designed to help residents build life skills, increase independence and work toward long-term goals.
Suzanne Grimmesey, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness, said having a safe, supportive environment can help people engage in treatment and focus on recovery.
“For someone that's struggling or living with a mental health challenge and or co-occurring substance use disorder to be in an environment that is safe, that is home like, that offers the supports needed, that embraces the recovery process, really allows a person the environment that they need to engage in, in their treatment and to improve,” Grimmesey said.
New Sobering Center provides stabilization services
Next door, the 14-bed Sobering Center, operated by Good Samaritan Shelter, provides a safe, supportive place for people to stabilize while under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
The new facility replaces the county's former Sobering Center, which was vacated because of the condition of the building. Services had been temporarily available at another location.
Together, Tecolote House and the Sobering Center provide 26 beds for people needing different levels of behavioral health support.
County officials say the facilities strengthen the county's continuum of care by offering pathways toward stabilization, treatment and greater independence.
How to get behavioral health support
People experiencing mental health or substance use challenges can call Santa Barbara County's toll-free Crisis Response and Services Access Line at 888-868-1649.
The line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects callers with behavioral health support and services.
