Pima County Supervisors approved spending opioid settlement funds to establish space for a new treatment center.
The Sobering Alternative to Recovery (SAFR) Center will be located downtown at 250 S. Toole Ave. Supervisors awarded $1.8 million to Community Bridges to establish the center. CODAC Health, Recovery in Wellness and the University of Arizona's School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness will be partnering with Community Bridges for the center.
The contract between the county and Community Bridges lasts through the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The county has the ability to renew the contract by one year, two times.
Limited operations are set to begin next month, and referrals "from EMS, law enforcement, hospitals, and walk-ins will begin being accepted in the third month, tentatively January/February 2026," the county said.
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"The opioid epidemic has had alarming ripple effects nationwide and in our own community,†said Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott. “The SAFR Center will enable us to ensure individuals in crisis are stabilized and connected to treatment and recovery resources while prioritizing public safety.â€
The county's health department will oversee the operation and track metrics, including the total number of referrals, demographics, length of stay among other data points. The center will also be assessing "client outcomes" at the 30-, 60- and 90-day marks post-intake.
The SAFR Center is in alignment with the , which supervisors approved last week as well.
The county says the initiative, pushed for by Supervisor Andrés Cano, "seeks to strengthen public safety, expand treatment and recovery services, support housing stability, protect public health, and improve the condition of the Chuck Huckelberry Loop and County-managed public spaces."
"Piloting the SAFR Center and strengthening diversion programs that move people into treatment instead of jail is a key priority area of the One Pima Initiative," the county said.
