OUR MISSION AND VISION

Community Human Services is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing high-quality mental health, substance abuse, and homeless services to Monterey County residents to help them reach their full potential. Our vision is to have a community free of substance abuse, mental health challenges, and housing instability by providing ever-evolving programs and services that address the root causes of social problems.

OUR HISTORY

CHS was established in 1969 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by a grassroots effort of concerned parents and community leaders to tackle the issue of rising drug use among teenagers. Then in 1972, in response to a Grand Jury report critical of local jurisdictions being unresponsive to community needs, nine cities and school districts partnered with CHS to become a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). Today, JPA membership has grown to include sixteen city and school districts. The nonprofit JPA structure allows members to pool and leverage their resources and helps CHS quickly and effectively address community needs with a variety of human services.

In October 2002, CHS merged with the Family Service Agency of Monterey County. This strategic partnership created a single agency focused on supporting children, families, and adults with comprehensive, low-cost mental health, substance abuse and homeless services. In addition, the merger enhanced CHS’ ability to provide family safety-net services that prevent child abuse and domestic violence, such as parenting education, anger management classes, and supervised visitations and exchanges.

WHAT WE DO

Today Community Human Services’ family of programs includes services that fall under three primary pillars: mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness. Our programs include mental health counseling, parenting education, supervised visitation and exchange, domestic violence and anger management counseling, school-based counseling, youth substance abuse prevention and intervention at the FAMILY SERVICE CENTERS in Salinas and Seaside; narcotic replacement therapy at OFF MAIN CLINIC in Salinas; OUTPATIENT DRUG TREATMENT CENTERS in Salinas and Monterey; residential drug treatment at GENESIS HOUSE in Seaside, supportive sober housing for women at SONOMA HOUSE and men at ELM HOUSE in Seaside; street outreach services for homeless transitional-age youth street outreach in the SALINAS VALLEY and MONTEREY PENINSULA STREET OUTREACH PROGRAMS, emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless transition-age youth at SAFE PLACE in Monterey; transitional supportive housing for homeless transition-age youth at SAFE PASSAGE in Monterey; and emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless women and families with children at CASA DE NOCHE BUENA in Seaside. A second shelter for homeless women and families, SHUMAN HEARTHOUSE, will open in Monterey in the summer of 2023.

We are proud that in the 50+ years, CHS has been in operation, we have continuously risen to meet emerging community needs while consistently providing quality care and services to our county’s most at-risk populations.

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