DATE/TIME: May 24, 2024 / 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
INCIDENT: Three Unsheltered Families Located and Placed though Operation Shelter Me
LOCATION: City of Victorville
SUMMARY: On Friday, May 24, 2024, from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Community Service & Reentry Division, Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team (H.O.P.E.) conducted "Operation Shelter Me" in the city of Victorville and surrounding unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. Operation Shelter Me aims to connect staff with unhoused residents and offer them housing, medical, and mental health treatment services. During this operation, the team focused on those with the most significant mental illness to get those individuals linked to restorative mental health pathways.
The team located three families with children living unsheltered and connected them to immediate placement. Eighty individuals were contacted including 10 military veterans. Sixty-seven individuals were referred to services and 16 were assisted in connecting to a service. Over 75% of individuals contacted were open to services. While service capacity is limited, the teams will continue to work with this population to get them into services as they become available.
In June of 2023, San Bernardino County opted into Laura’s Law, also called Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Laura’s Law provides opportunities for court-ordered community treatment pathways for individuals with histories of hospitalization or incarceration, and histories of violence to themselves or others. Two individuals were identified as potential Laura’s Law referrals. These individuals will be referred to the Department of Behavioral Health for evaluation and possible additional services.
The team provided this focused outreach due to Senate Bill 170, which provided funding to the Department to support ongoing operations of this nature. The H.O.P.E. Team and other aligned resources will continue operations of this type throughout the county over the next several years.
If you know of persons experiencing homelessness who need services, please get in touch with the H.O.P.E. Team at 909-387-0623 or [email protected]
Refer: The H.O.P.E. Team
Station: Community Service & Reentry Division
Phone No. (909) 387-0623
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
