County, Cal State Fullerton to Pilot Community Health Ambassador Program in Stanton; Council and staff outline homelessness outreach challenges

Supervisor Doug Chaffee and representatives from Cal State Fullerton told the Stanton City Council on May 13 that a new Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP) would be piloted in Stanton and that the Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider funding the pilot at its May 20 meeting.

The program, presented by Michelle Wood, professor and chair of Cal State Fullerton’s Department of Public Health, will place graduate students in real‑world internships with local agencies to conduct needs assessments, develop program and evaluation plans, and produce grant applications. “This program will provide valuable data‑driven insights into the specific health challenges and needs of Stanton residents,” Wood said during the presentation.

Why it matters: council members said Stanton’s greatest immediate health concerns include people living on the street and residents with complex mental‑health and substance‑use needs. The CHAP model would not deliver clinical care directly but would aim to identify gaps and design…