SANTA ANA, Calif. – July 25, 2025 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire (BBBS OC/IE) has been awarded a $1 million grant from CalOptima Health to expand its mentorship programs as a long-term, preventive strategy for youth facing housing insecurity in Orange County.  

The funding enables BBBS OC/IE to embed mentorship into the Orange County Department of Education’s (OCDE) OC Pathways initiative, with a goal of serving over 2,000 CalOptima Health families and reaching more than 10,000 youth through outreach efforts. This support is part of $2.7 million in funding for community grants and system change projects awarded in June 2025 by the CalOptima Health Board of Directors to address homelessness in Orange County.

The investment will help scale trauma-informed mentorship across schools, districts and university partners, with a special emphasis on students at risk of housing instability, poverty, and adverse childhood experiences. The non-profit will recruit and support 800 new or returning mentors representing the region’s diverse communities.

BBBS OC/IE provides both one-on-one and group mentoring programs that connect youth with positive role models. Mentored youth build stronger support networks, attain higher academic and career achievement, improve mental health and make better choices. According to a recent Harvard-backed study based on 30 years of IRS data, mentored youth are 20% more likely to attend college and earn 15% more in lifetime earnings.

“The grant for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire will increase local services and improve the homeless system of care for many individuals and families in Orange County who have struggled with housing insecurity,” said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. “Simply put, housing is health. Stable housing is the very foundation for accessing medical and behavioral health services.”

Homelessness is a growing problem in Orange County, and mentorship is a powerful form of early intervention. Young people need stability, connection, and opportunity to thrive—conditions that mentorship helps create.

“Mentorship isn’t just about guidance—it’s about prevention,” said Sloane Keane, CEO of BBBS OC/IE. “It creates stability, belonging, and opportunity before a young person ever falls through the cracks.”

CalOptima Health grants are tied to participation in California’s Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP), which allows the health plan to fund transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, expanded community-based services, projects that support systems change, and equity grants for organizations to build capacity. HHIP aims to prevent and address housing insecurity for Medi-Cal members by ensuring those experiencing homelessness have a clear path into housing and can access the services needed to remain housed.