Pima Board of Supervisors approve opioid settlement funds for Sobering Facility

PIMA COUNTY (Nov. 20, 2025) – The Pima County Board of Supervisors, on Nov. 18, unanimously approved creating a medically supported space for individuals experiencing substance use disorder with opioid settlement funds.

The $1.8 million contract, which uses opioid lawsuit settlement funds, was awarded to Community Bridges to establish the Sobering Alternative to Recovery (SAFR) Center at 250 S. Toole Ave. The center is set to begin limited operations in December. Full referrals from EMS, law enforcement, hospitals, and walk-ins will begin being accepted in the third month, tentatively January/February 2026.

Community Bridges will partner with CODAC Health, Recovery in Wellness, and the University of Arizona School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness for the project.

The SAFR Center is one of numerous programs and efforts by the County to address the challenges of substance use and addiction in the County. It also aligns with the Board’s approval at the Nov. 18 meeting of the One Pima Initiative, which 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 rather than jail are key priorities of the One Pima Initiative.

“The opioid epidemic has had alarming ripple effects nationwide and in our own community,” said Board Chair 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.”

The Pima County Health Department will maintain oversight of the operation, tracking metrics such as total number of referrals, client demographics, time of arrival, housing, employment, food security, and insurance status; number of referrals made (such as to housing, treatment, etc.); use of opioids; and length of stay. The SAFR Center will also assess client outcomes at 30, 60, and 90 days post-intake and will solicit feedback from first responders, partners, and staff.

Establishing the center also supports the County’s Prosperity Initiative, a regional partnership working to reduce generational poverty so that every child can reach adulthood with the skills, tools, and resources needed to achieve economic stability.

The funds are part of the One Arizona Agreement, which is distributing $1.215 billion in opioid settlement funds over 18 years to the state, counties, cities, and towns affected by the opioid epidemic. The Pima County Health Department is the lead agency for managing county funds and coordinating payments to municipalities. The Pima County region, including its jurisdictional partners, is due to receive $126.8 million per the One Arizona settlement.

The Health Department has taken a multifaceted approach to addressing substance use in the region. Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of the Pima County Health Department, wrote in a Nov. 14 memo that the approach “underscores the department’s commitment to advancing health equity, reducing preventable deaths, and strengthening the community’s capacity for resilience and recovery. Our Health Department has been recognized nationally for best practices in these areas.”

The initial contract term runs through June 30, 2026, with options for two one-year renewals.