HOUSING NOT HOSING –

March 1, 2021 – Jei Africa, director of Marin County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services division, said, “We’re calculating that an additional 48 folks will have some temporary housing as they’re getting services for substance abuse.” Africa said there are five recovery coaches working with the program. The grant will make it possible to add one more.

Africa said some of the grant money also will be used for ongoing operation of the program. He said the county has been receiving grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to help support the program since 2017.

“We have about 94 individuals who have been served through the adult drug court,” Africa said. “We have 17 currently who are still in the program.”

Deborah Lewis, the public defender assigned to the drug court, said the court’s most recent graduation rate was 62%.

“In years past, we never even came close to 50%,” she said.

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