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Stockton Council OKs $855,000 contract with Care Solace to expand mental-health navigation
Summary
The Stockton City Council voted 7-0 Oct. 1 to approve a three-year, not-to-exceed $855,000 agreement with Care Solace to provide a centralized referral hub and care-companion services paid from National Opioid Settlement funds.
The Stockton City Council approved a three-year, not-to-exceed $855,000 contract with Care Solace Inc. to operate a central hub that connects residents to mental-health and social services using funds from the National Opioid Settlement.
City program manager Alex Bailey told the council the agreement would use settlement distributions to establish technology, screening (SBIRT) and “warm handoff” services and fund care companions who help residents navigate treatment. Bailey said the recommended contract is an exception to competitive bidding authorized under city code and would be funded only as opioid-settlement distributions become available.
Anita Ward, introduced by staff as Care Solace’s chief growth officer, described the service as an “anchor” for residents who do not know how to find culturally relevant care. “We think of ourselves as a hub or a front door to all the mental-health services and all the social services in a community,” Ward said, adding that Care Solace offers in-language supports, phone and QR-code access, and care companions who speak hundreds of languages.
Vice Mayor Walmsley asked whether Care Solace would assist residents who lack insurance; Ward said the program supports public- and no-insurance cases and that nearly 70% of the school-district population served through a similar program were on public insurance or uninsured.
Ward said Stockton would receive a dedicated phone number and local reporting by ZIP code. Alex Bailey told the council the preferred Stockton pricing was $1 per resident per year and that the proposed contract would not exceed $855,000 over three years.
Council members praised the presentation and unanimously approved the contract, casting votes in favor 7-0 and authorizing the city manager to carry out the agreement. The contract is to begin Oct. 15, according to staff materials.
The council’s action uses opioid-settlement dollars rather than the city’s general fund; staff said all disbursements remain subject to the state settlement distribution schedule and availability.
