Step Forward Central

Step Forward Central, located in Bankers Hill, San Diego, is a CalWORKs Behavioral Health Center dedicated to assisting Welfare-to-Work participants facing behavioral health challenges that impede their employment prospects. The center offers outpatient services, including behavioral health and psychiatric evaluations, medication management, individual, group, and family counseling, case management, care coordination, and crisis intervention. Step Forward places a significant emphasis on educational and employment services to prepare individuals and families for self-sufficiency as they transition from welfare to gainful employment. Part of the Community Research Foundation, Step Forward Central emphasizes removing behavioral health barriers to employment, directly addressing the unique needs of CalWORKs participants. Funded by the County of San Diego's Behavioral Health Services, the program ensures accessibility by accepting Medi-Cal beneficiaries, Medi-Cal-eligible individuals, and the uninsured, with no one denied services based on inability to pay. Participants' designated Welfare-to-Work Case Managers make referrals to the program, facilitating seamless integration into their existing Welfare-to-Work plans.