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 interventions that local agencies could pursue or fund.

Program basics and timeline - Cal State Fullerton expects an initial cohort of about 30 master’s students organized into roughly eight teams; the program is framed as a two‑year cycle running from June through the following May. Students will do needs assessments in fall, design programs in spring, and complete internships and evaluations in summer. Wood said the model is based on a Costa Rica community health approach and emphasizes prevention and social determinants of health. - Supervisor Chaffee said the Board of Supervisors will place CHAP on its May 20 agenda and that, if approved there, “At that time, we'll provide the funding for the program, so it's not gonna cost you anything.”

Council questions and limits of the student work Council members pressed Cal State Fullerton staff on whether students would provide direct services to unhoused people. Dr. Tavishar Nobari, assistant professor of public health who helped design the program, said students will conduct assessments, design programs and may help write grant proposals but “I don't see our students providing care; I do see them helping to define, describe, and recommend approaches and possibly develop some ideas” for service partners.

City homelessness outreach report City staff provided Stanton’s April outreach statistics alongside the CHAP briefing to show current local needs. According to the staff report, the city’s outreach team conducted 134 proactive client encounters in April and received 141 contacts from individuals, advocates, service providers and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; staff reported 130 offers of shelter were declined and three people requested shelter but beds were unavailable. Staff said two individuals were connected to interim housing, two to emergency motel assistance, two to mental‑health services and eight to benefits assistance; one shelter referral did not result in intake.

Staff described the primary local concentrations of unhoused people as Beach Boulevard at Chapman, Stanton Park, the Dale Flood Control Channel and the area around Cerritos and Western. The report noted both successes—an individual recently placed at the Aurora Vista project—and continuing barriers, including individuals who accept services but later fail to comply with facility rules or who decline available placements.

How council framed next steps Council members and staff urged CHAP to examine homelessness outreach and mental‑health access as part of student needs assessments and suggested the students could help craft fundable proposals. Supervisor Chaffee and Cal State Fullerton representatives said they welcome local agency partnerships and will report back through Stanton’s city manager on program progress if the county funds the pilot.

Ending note The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider CHAP funding on May 20; if approved, Cal State Fullerton staff said they will coordinate with Stanton city staff on partner assignments, a communications plan and timelines for needs assessments and pilot activities.