Fontana’s county area witnessed an initiative named “Operation Shelter Me,” where the Community Service & Reentry Division’s Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E.) worked alongside the Department of Aging and Adult Services. This collaboration aimed to offer housing, medical, and mental health treatment services to unhoused residents, as detailed in a report released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. The outreach, running from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., sought to particularly support individuals with significant mental illnesses by connecting them to mental health care pathways.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, the H.O.P.E. team managed to contact 46 individuals who were living without shelter. Out of these, 29 accepted referral information for assistance programs, while 7 were successfully connected with local service providers. The team, however, did not find any candidates to definitely be enrolled in programs for assisted outpatient or substance abuse treatment during the effort, despite previous legislation under Laura’s Law and Senate Bill 43 that intended to provide such pathways for those who are gravely disabled.
The operation in the Fontana area is part of a continued commitment to address homelessness and mental illness—a concern heightened by special funding from the County Board of Supervisors. As stated in the report by the Sheriff’s Department, “The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue similar operations throughout the County over the next year.”…