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Tucson updates SAFER center rollout as opioid-settlement grants move into the community
Summary
City staff told the mayor and council the SAFER Center opened Jan. 1 under a six‑month $1.8 million pilot contract, offering 15 beds and up to 96‑hour stays; the Pima County ROSAC approved $5.4 million in first‑year grants and left roughly $1.4 million to rebid after no applicants sought mobile‑med funding.
Lee Hopkins, the city’s community safety, health and wellness resource manager, told the Tucson mayor and council that the SAFER Center began accepting patients on Jan. 1 and that the pilot’s initial contract is $1,800,000 for the first six months. "They started taking patients January 1," Hopkins said, and staff reported a smooth intake process.
Hopkins described the SAFER Center as a 15‑bed sobering‑alternative model that allows stays of up to 96 hours, with access to showers, warm meals, laundry and a cot. The extended stay is intended to give navigators and care coordinators time to develop placements and insurance pre‑approvals and to connect patients with housing, rehab and other services, Hopkins said.
Hopkins opened her update with a field example: she said care coordinator Daniel Reyes administered Narcan to a person outside the El Pueblo neighborhood complex and the individual survived after medics transported him to the hospital. The staff account underscored the city’s emphasis on harm‑reduction coordination among care navigators, community outreach and Tucson Police Department co‑response teams.
Hopkins said Community Bridges won the SAFER pilot contract and will subcontract with other providers; she said the pilot is funded exclusively by opioid settlement dollars and that the city will perform ongoing evaluation throughout the pilot period. "That $1,800,000 contract will be for the first 6 months of the pilot," she said.
Hopkins also reported that the regional opioid settlement advisory committee (ROSAC) and the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved proposed contracts distributing $5,400,000 in settlement funds for the first year of grantmaking. The funded areas include youth prevention services, peer navigation support, transitional wraparound support and embedded behavioral‑health co‑response with law enforcement. Hopkins said about $1,400,000 remained undisbursed after no applicants applied for the mobile medication funding pot and that ROSAC will revisit that request for proposals.
Council members and the mayor thanked staff and pressed for detailed metrics. Mayor Regina Romero said she was "really happy about the opioid settlement funds finally going out into the hands that need this investment" and asked for clear performance targets. Vice Mayor Santa Cruz and Council Member Schubert echoed the request for baseline metrics, targets and regular reporting so the council can measure the programs’ effectiveness.
Hopkins said staff will provide evaluation updates and policy recommendations as data become available and that referral pathways for the initial SAFER phase will include Operation Clear Path, TPD CORE deployments and the transition center.
Next steps: the city and ROSAC will continue contract oversight and evaluation during the pilot period; staff will return with performance metrics and recommendations for targeting education and services to neighborhoods with the highest overdose and service‑call rates.
