Counties across California report that a large bulk of government programs and services are used by a relatively small group of familiar faces who cycle in and out of hospitals, homeless shelters, behavioral health programs, and jails. This report focuses on “high utilizers” in Sonoma County who use government programs and services provided in five domains: physical health, behavioral health, housing, human services, and criminal justice. While high utilizers in Sonoma County represent approximately 1% of the county population, they account for an average of 26% of jail time, 28% of annual costs for behavioral health services, and 52% of nights in housing or shelters provided to the homeless.

This work has been supported, in part, by the University of California Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives grant MRP-19-600774.