Ontario sits in San Bernardino County’s West Valley region, where the fentanyl crisis has been a significant public health concern. In response, the county’s infrastructure for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is more developed than in many cities of comparable size.
In June 2023, the county Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) launched a countywide awareness campaign called “Fentanyl Doesn’t Care. But We Do.” that has used real community stories to educate residents about overdose recognition and naloxone access.
In early 2024, the county’s Department of Public Health followed with the launch of ODASH (Opioid Data Analytics and Surveillance for Harm Reduction), a publicly accessible dashboard that tracks overdose trends by geography and demographic group.
These initiatives reflect an active county-level response to a crisis that has touched every part of the Inland Empire, including Ontario.
Detox and residential SUD facilities operating in California must be licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), which serves as the sole state licensing authority for non-medical alcohol and drug recovery programs. Many facilities also hold optional DHCS certification, which signals they meet a higher standard of program quality. Outpatient SUD programs that offer detoxification or medication for addiction treatment (MAT) must obtain DHCS certification as a separate requirement.
At the county level, the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) funds and oversees a network of Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services (SUDRS) providers. These include Mariposa Community Counseling at 2940 Inland Empire Blvd in Ontario, which serves West Valley residents with outpatient SUD treatment. The DBH access line at (800) 968-2636 connects callers to a free, confidential assessment and referral to county-funded services.
For Ontario residents researching options, knowing how to choose a detox center before making contact with a facility can make the intake process considerably easier.
