Linea de Acceso para Servicos y Crisis, Gratuito y Disponible las 24 Horas del Dia (888) 868-1649. Para emergencias medicas, llame al 911.

About Us

The Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition

Our Story

The Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition is a local community coalition dedicated to saving lives and preventing opioid misuse through expanding public education and media outreach, enhancing opioid surveillance, preventing overdose and promoting Naloxone distribution, promoting safe disposal practices, encouraging early intervention, and expanding treatment access and recovery.

The group was formed in 2018 as a task force or action group of the Santa Barbara Fighting Back Leadership Coalition, which has met monthly for the past 27 years to bring together community leaders to reduce substance abuse through a comprehensive, community-wide system of care that includes prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare. The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is the administrative agency for Santa Barbara Fighting Back, which is chaired by District Attorney Joyce Dudley and includes decision makers in county and city government, law enforcement, health care, education, media and business. The Opioid Safety Coalition was formed as a working group of the larger coalition in response to the local opioid crisis.

In October, 2018 the group became a member of the California Opioid Prevention Network (COPN), a network for coalitions, organizations, and individuals working at the forefront of the overdose epidemic. Our coalition was awarded three grants to participate in COPN’s Accelerator Program (we are currently participating in the fourth grant cycle) which provide technical assistance and learning/networking convenings with similar coalitions throughout the state. COPN also sponsors the largest AmeriCorps VISTA program dedicated to opioid safety in the country, with the capacity to place 40 VISTA members in coalitions across California. VISTA members serve for one year, bolstering the impact of coalitions to incite transformational change within health systems and the communities they serve.

The Accelerator grant provided our coalition with a VISTA volunteer, hosted by the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and the opportunity to work with consultants on developing a local data dashboard that will consolidate data being collected by all of the member organizations about local opioid use, treatment, and community impacts. Our accelerator grant team is also responsible for developing this website to bring attention to the opioid issue in our community and provide resources to individuals seeking treatment, as well as behavioral health professionals and policymakers.

Learn about the impacts of COPN’s Accelerator Program on coalitions throughout California:
> Download the COPN Accelerator 2.0 Final Report 

Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition Members

John Doyel, MA, LAADC, CCS, Assistant Director,  County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness

Paul Erickson, MD, Medical Director and Chair of Psychiatry and Chemical Dependency Services, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital

Kristin Flickinger, Executive Director, Pacific Pride Foundation

Kristin Crosby, Santa Barbara Clinic Manager, Pinnacle Treatment Centers

Dana Gamble, LCSW, Assistant Deputy Director, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department

Nancy Gottlieb, LMFT, MAC, Clinical Director, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Jacqueline Kurta, PsyD, LMFT, Director, UCSB Student Health Alcohol and Drug Program

Cherylynn Lee, PhD, Behavioral Science Manager, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

Amy Lopez, Project Manager, Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, County Dept. of Behavioral Wellness

Sophia Manson, BSN, RN, Disease Management RN, Substance Use Disorder Program, CenCal Health

Lacey Peters, LMFT, Co-Chair of Personal Counseling, Santa Barbara City College, Student Health Services

Amanda Pyper, LMFT, Behavioral Health Manager, CenCal Health

Lynda Rae, Grantwriter, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Shelby Swanson, LMFT, Alcohol and Drug Programs Project Manager, Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness

Melissa Wilkins, Division Chief of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness

North County Opioid Coalition

Santa Barbara County Alcohol and Drug Programs has facilitated the creation of a North County Opioid Coalition to address the opioid and associated stimulant use epidemic in the Santa Maria and Lompoc regions of the county.  Stakeholders are being gathered from local hospitals, the County Public Health Department, substance use treatment programs and other community agencies and organizations to develop strategies to address and combat the opioid and stimulant problem in the North and West County regions. It’s purpose is to organize a group collaboration, integrated with South County, to identify and address the impacts of the opioid epidemic in Santa Barbara County and coordinate care for shared populations.

For more information, contact Amy Lopez, Project Manager, Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.

North County Opioid Coalition Members

Krista Armenta, Deputy Behavioral Health Director, Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic

Sylvia Barnard, Executive Director, Good Samaritan

Joseph Carter, PA, Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic

Nayely Chavez, Senior Associate, Health Management Associates

Dr. Silvia Corral, Coast Valley Substance Abuse Treatment Center

Jeffrey Curtis, Executive Director, Aegis, Santa Maria

Helen DuPlessis, MD, MPH, Principal, Health Management Associates

Kristin Flickinger, Executive Director, Pacific Pride Foundation

Donna Flores, Director of Treatment, Good Samaritan

Amber Garcia, AMFT, Assistant Executive Director, Aegis, Santa Maria

Luis Gonzalez, Program Manager, Coast Valley Substance Abuse Treatment Center

Joseph Gossner, LCSW, Community Health Centers

Amelia Grover, Manager of Social Work, Dignity Health, Marian Hospital

Jessica Guajardo, RN, Psychiatric Nurse Coordinator, Behavioral Health Department, Community Health Centers

Matt Hamlin, Director, Coast Valley Substance Abuse Treatment Center

Dr. Rachel Hawkins, PsyD, Santa Maria Clinic, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department

Dr. Karen Hord, CenCal Health

Tiffany Lane, Program Manager, Pacific Pride Foundation

North County Opioid Coalition Members

Dr. Cherlynn Lee, PhD, Behavioral Services Manager, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

Amy Lopez, Project Manager, Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, County Dept. of Behavioral Wellness

Megan Love, SUD Navigator, Dignity Health, Marian Hospital

Sophia Manson, RN, Health Plan Nurse Coordinator, CenCal Health

Robert Martin, PA, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, Santa Maria

Dr. Rachel McDuffee, Aegis

Jose Mejia, YES Program Treatment Therapist, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Dr. Josephine Preciado, Good Samaritan & Santa Barbara County Public Health Department

Charles Robbins, Principal, Health Management Associates

Emir Saafir, Manager, Santa Barbara County Probation Department

Frank Souza, Program Manager, Good Samaritan Santa Maria Stabilization Center

Noah Spevak, Supervising Probation Officer, Santa Barbara County Probation Department

Shelby Swanson, LMFT, Director of Adult Treatment Services, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Veronica Uribe, Care Coordinator, Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, County Dept. of Behavioral Wellness

Rich VandenHueval, Principal, Health Management Associates

Melissa Wilkins, Division Chief of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness

Member Organizations