California’s 58 counties provide nearly all state and many municipal services to help Californians improve their daily lives. From public health to homelessness supportive services; foster care, behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment to public safety; housing and land use to emergency services and more; California’s counties are driven to serve.

To showcase the vital work counties do each day, we’re launching “Driven to Serve,” an educational campaign to highlight the critical services counties provide to serve all Californians, but with an emphasis to the vulnerable and those most in need.  

Each month, we will feature some of the most innovative and proven solutions counties have developed to address societal challenges and the unique needs of their residents. Driven to Serve will focus on one of these inventive county programs and showcase efforts through short videos, information handouts, and newsletters.

The programs we will spotlight will touch on the broad spectrum of resourceful and efficient ways counties are providing local solutions to statewide problems to serve and assist the most vulnerable Californians while  empowering our communities to thrive.

Many county services, like public safety and infrastructure are well known and visible. Community members may come to know other services only in their darkest hours of need. As a childhood survivor of domestic violence, hunger and poverty, I’ve experienced the immense importance of county-delivered services, and how they create safety, stability and opportunity in the lives of our neighbors and communities. 

I am immensely proud to launch the Driven to Serve campaign this month with a focus on Placer County’s Whole Person Care program. Whole Person Care is a five-year pilot program providing coordinated health, behavioral health and social services for individuals recently released from institutions or incarceration, those with mental illness or substance use disorders, and those who are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness. There are currently 26 counties operating Whole Person Care programs throughout the state, with more than 130,000 individuals receiving services. Click here to learn more.

Upcoming topics will include behavioral health programs in emergency rooms and transitional housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. You can sign up here to receive our monthly e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter via #CountiesServeCA to learn more about essential county programs and services directly helping California’s 39 million residents.

If you’d like to highlight some of the critical and innovative services that your county provides, make sure to use the #CountiesServeCA hashtag and we may feature you on our social channels.