Sonoma County launches Open Doors campaign to connect residents to vital services

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Sonoma County today launched Open Doors, a new initiative designed to improve residents’ access to food, housing, health care, employment, child care and other services everyone needs to thrive.

Led by the Sonoma County Human Services Department, the Open Doors campaign is a collaborative effort uniting government, nonprofits and community-based organizations that deliver critical safety net services to vulnerable populations. It expands upon the No Wrong Door philosophy adopted in 2021 by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, which set out to create an interlinked system of care where people are connected to the services they need, regardless of where they enter the system.

“By streamlining access to essential services and building stronger bridges between government and nonprofits, we’re creating a more compassionate and coordinated safety net for Sonoma County,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “With Open Doors, people no longer have to navigate layers of referrals alone or be needlessly shuffled around before finding help. Every door should lead them to the services they need.”

A new website, www.OpenDoorsSC.com, offers a searchable directory of more than 600 social service providers across 12 categories. By centralizing information that was previously scattered across agencies, the website makes it easier for the public and service providers alike to quickly find the support they need.

To break down silos and strengthen collaboration across agencies, the Human Services Department has been working with partners to provide information about the array of local services available to meet residents’ basic needs. One in four Sonoma County residents receives help from the Human Services Department, including access to medical care, food, in-home services and cash assistance, while many others receive specialized aid from a mosaic of community organizations. The goal is to create a seamless system of support by improving coordination between nonprofits and County safety net departments, including human and health services, child support, housing and homelessness services, law enforcement, the public defender, probation and the courts.

“Open Doors represents a powerful shift toward better service coordination across the county safety net in collaboration with community partner organizations,” said Angela Struckmann, director of the Human Services Department. “New federal legislation is placing additional restrictions and requirements on families, especially our immigrant populations, and is making it more challenging to access food assistance, medical coverage and other safety net programs. Open Doors will enhance services for the community at a time when it is really needed, to ensure that all residents receive the support they need to thrive.”

The County will begin a robust public awareness campaign this month, when local residents will see Open Doors messaging on billboards, transit buses and local media. Brochures, posters and flyers in English and Spanish will be available at Human Services offices and partner sites.

The Open Doors initiative complements the 211 Sonoma County call line, operated by United Way of the Wine Country, giving residents multiple ways to access help when they need it. Residents can continue to call 211 for live assistance or use the Open Doors website for quick, easy online access to information.

A media kit with testimonials, logos and FAQs about Open Doors is available on the Open Doors website at opendoorssc.com/toolkits/.

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Media Contact: 
Susan Hsieh, Communications Manager 
Sonoma County Human Services Department 
shsieh@schsd.org 
(707) 565-8085