SACRAMENTO, CA – The Steinberg Institute announced Tuesday that it will honor four California-based advocates during Mental Health Awareness Month for their groundbreaking work in the fields of mental health and substance use treatment. One honoree will be named each week in May, with one ultimately receiving the prestigious Richard Van Horn Award—named in memory of one of the state’s most respected mental health advocates.
The first Champion recognized is Amber Williams, CEO of Janus of Santa Cruz, who has been at the forefront of developing community-based alternatives to incarceration for individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Under Williams’ leadership, Janus has implemented a sobering center housed within the Santa Cruz County Jail, offering a “low-barrier entry point to substance use treatment and mental health care,” as described by the Steinberg Institute.
“Amber has become a driving force in developing community-based alternatives to incarceration in Santa Cruz County,” the Institute wrote in its press release. “The program is providing a stepping stone for people to transition to sober living instead of winding up behind bars.”
A leading advocate for behavioral health reform in California, Williams brings over two decades of field experience to her role, alongside academic training in psychology with a subspecialty in substance use disorders. Her commitment to the work is also deeply personal: she is in recovery herself and draws on that experience to lead with both expertise and empathy.
The sobering center at Santa Cruz County Jail diverts individuals with substance use issues away from the traditional criminal justice system and instead connects them to supportive services, including housing, employment, and long-term healthcare. In its first year alone, the program served more than 2,170 people, making it a model for other counties across the state.
“Our behavioral health workforce is overwhelmed and understaffed, hospitals are overcrowded, and our criminal justice system is dealing with a challenge it isn’t built for,” said the Steinberg Institute in its Vision 2030 statement. “We’ll challenge assumptions, ensure transparency, and provide recommendations based on solid data to fix what’s broken and scale what’s working.”
Vision 2030, the Institute’s statewide initiative, aims to fundamentally reform California’s behavioral health system by pursuing four key goals:
- Modernize the behavioral health workforce;
- Cut in half the number of unhoused individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders;
- Reduce behavioral health-related emergency room visits by 50%; and
- Cut in half the number of individuals with mental illness entering the criminal justice system.
Karen Larsen, CEO of the Steinberg Institute, praised Williams’ efforts as emblematic of the data-driven and compassionate approach needed to meet the challenges ahead.
“Vision 2030 calls on us to use innovative, data-driven approaches as we intervene in the mental health and substance use crisis gripping California,” Larsen said. “Our Champions are answering that call.”
Williams’ work has become a beacon for other jurisdictions exploring alternatives to incarceration. By shifting the paradigm from punishment to treatment and community support, Janus of Santa Cruz demonstrates what it looks like to put dignity and effectiveness at the heart of behavioral health care.
Through her leadership, Amber Williams continues to reshape what treatment, recovery, and justice can look like in California—offering a model that prioritizes partnership, accountability, and second chances.
The next Steinberg Institute Champion will be announced next week.
