Sobering centers are facilities where people under the influence of drugs or alcohol can safely recover, typically for up to 24 hours. These programs provide clients with a bed, meals, substance use education and counseling, as well as connections to health care services. Sobering centers also enable first responders to redirect people experiencing intoxication away from emergency departments and jails, conserving acute health care and law enforcement resources.

California’s Medi-Cal (Medicaid) reform initiative, CalAIM, uses a managed care financing mechanism that encourages sobering centers to contract with managed care plans for service reimbursement. One partnership in Santa Cruz County, between the county sheriff’s office and a local behavioral health provider, Janus of Santa Cruz, led to the creation of a county sobering center. This profile, developed with support from the California Health Care Foundation, provides an overview of the sobering center and describes its services, staffing model, funding structure, and the benefits it offers to law enforcement and the community. It shares practical recommendations for jurisdictions in California and across the U.S. seeking to establish similar programs.