Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA) is the SPA 7 Client Engagement and Navigation Services (CENS) program in Los Angeles County.  The goal of the CENS office is to connect individuals to substance use disorder treatment services with the purpose of improving the person’s overall welfare including health, employment, maintaining housing and benefits, and satisfying probation and plea diversion.   CENS services connect self-referrals and individuals referred by health, social services, and criminal justice entities to substance use disorder treatment services.  

The main CENS office is located at 11015 Bloomfield Avenue, Santa Fe Springs, CA and has co-locations throughout SPA 7 at Los Angeles County Probation Department in East Los Angeles and Rio Hondo; Courthouses in Downey, Bellflower, Norwalk and East Los Angeles; Family Solution Center at The Whole Child; Department of Public Social Services CalWORKs and General Relief, and Adult At-Risk; DCFS SUD TIPS; LEAD – Alma Family Services; Permanent Supportive Housing sites in Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, Commerce, Bell and Huntington Park; and Interim Housing.  

The main office and co-locations are staffed by CENS Navigators to conduct outreach and engagement. A CENS Navigator is a counselor that is available Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and on Saturday by appointment only, to converse with an individual to determine Medi-Cal or My Health LA eligibility, screen for a substance use disorder and link to the appropriate level of treatment.  Additionally, if an individual does not meet the criteria for SUD treatment, there are other ancillary services such as at-risk prevention, education, and referrals to housing, primary care, and other social services.  The CENS Navigator will also help the individual navigate through the process of accessing services, and with their consent, schedule appointments, maintain open communication with the referring agencies and assigned SUD provider, and follow-up to make sure linkage to care is completed.