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Sonoma County DHS to open local service center as officials outline homelessness, health gaps
Summary
County public health officials told the hospital board that Sonoma Valley’s by‑names list counts about 146 unhoused people (90 on the most recent point‑in‑time count) and announced a small DHS service center at the LaMedius campus with mental‑health, homeless navigation and Medi‑Cal/CalFresh access, targeted for roughly September.
Sonoma County Department of Health Services officials told the Sonoma Valley Hospital board that the county is boosting its local presence to address homelessness and access to mental‑health care.
"We are opening a small county service center for Department of Health Services, at the LaMedius campus," Nolan Sullivan, DHS director, said, adding the site will host mental‑health and homeless services, Medi‑Cal and CalFresh assistance and telehealth psychiatry. Sullivan said the county is targeting a "September ish" start date for the center.
Sullivan and Dr. Mia Shim, the county’s new health officer, presented data the board could use to plan local services. The presenters distinguished the annual point‑in‑time (PIT) count — 90 people in January 2025 for Sonoma Valley — from a more comprehensive "by‑names" provider list that currently holds about 146 residents the county considers experiencing homelessness. "The 90 is actually probably an undercount. The 146 is pretty spot on," Sullivan said.
Officials said roughly 90 of those 146 individuals are prepared for housing (paperwork and case management in place) but the main barrier is housing inventory and lack of vouchers. To expand immediate capacity, Sullivan said the county added 25 beds at Eliza’s Village Shelter, which are already full.
The county plans to place a Measure O‑funded homeless navigator in the Valley to coordinate the by‑names list with nonprofits, local police and hospitals. Sullivan said the task force convened with local leaders and called the 146 figure "a bite‑sized chunk" that could be reduced through coordinated action and more housing resources.
The presentation emphasized that homelessness intersects with health problems — lower life expectancy and higher overdose and suicide rates — and framed the LaMedius outpost as an access point to streamline services. Sullivan requested partnerships from local nonprofits, the city and county leaders to expand housing supply and support long‑term funding.
