In 2019, the Santa Cruz County Overcoming Substance Addiction (SOSA) Consortium was created to address the growing impact of substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) in this rural border community. Led by Mariposa Community Health Center and supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, the initiative began as a planning effort to create a coordinated network of care.
Today, SOSA has become a cornerstone of community collaboration—bringing together healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, first responders, educators, law enforcement, and local organizations to prevent overdose, expand access to treatment, and reduce the stigma of addiction.
SOSA’s work has transformed systems and lives across Santa Cruz County. Through a series of targeted initiatives, the Consortium created new pathways and access to care and empowered the community to respond more compassionately and effectively to substance use.
Key successes include:
- The launch of sosaheal.org, a community information hub with access to local services, treatment referrals, and prevention resources.
- A Treat & Refer program with EMS, allowing individuals who experience an overdose to be connected immediately to a peer support specialist and treatment options.
- Naloxone (Narcan) training is now widely available, including at local smoke shops and bars as well as embedded in First Aid and CPR training through the Fire Department and EMS.
- The Nogales Police Department CARES program, where officers can connect individuals with SUD directly to peer navigators and real-time treatment support.
- Expanded community access to recovery groups such as AA and NA, including regular meetings at a local faith-based shelter.
- Ongoing youth prevention programs, offering education around substance use, mental health, and building healthy coping skills across generations.
- Stronger coordination between medical and behavioral health providers, increasing warm handoffs to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and re-entry services for justice-involved individuals.
SOSA includes individuals with lived experience—as well as their family members, caregivers, and friends—in planning, decision-making, and outreach. Their insights and advocacy help shape programs that are relevant, respectful, and responsive.
By putting people with lived experience at the center, SOSA is helping change the narrative—from blame to understanding, from isolation to community.
To meet the increasing demand for services, the Consortium has helped grow the rural public health workforce by adding peer support specialists, case managers, psychiatric providers, and behavioral health professionals.
To conduct these significant public health wins, the Consortium includes more than 30 individuals and 12 lead partners:
- Mariposa Community Health Center
- HOPE Inc.
- SEAHEC
- Nogales Police Department
- Rio Rico Fire & Medical Department
- Pinal Hispanic Council
- Circles of Peace
- Santa Cruz County Justice Court
- Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office
- Santa Cruz County Superintendent’s Office
- Crossroads Nogales Mission
- University of Arizona Prevention Research Center
Together, they continue to share resources, coordinate care, and drive innovation to ensure every community member can access the help they need—when they need it.
For those studying public health or considering a career in the field, rural communities offer both challenge and reward. In Santa Cruz County, public health work is personal.
The impact is visible, and relationships are deep. You are not just improving systems—you are walking alongside your neighbors, creating real change in real time. Rural public health also teaches flexibility, creativity, and collaboration across sectors. Every effort counts, and every person matters.
With persistence, partnership, and purpose, the SOSA Consortium is helping transform how rural communities respond to addiction—not just in Santa Cruz County, but as a model for others nationwide.
These public health heroes are reducing stigma, increasing access, and rebuilding lives—one connection at a time.
For more information, visit sosaheal.org.
