22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com jail and not having a plan can be a catalyst for relapsing. On the morning of Monday, March 10, the rising sun casts an orange glow over the Monterey County Jail. The air is brisk as Perez waits outside at the back entrance to the jail for Jon “Dakota” Farrald, who is being released after a misdemeanor drug charge. He’s there to provide Farrald his prescription for buprenorphine and drive him to Sun Street Centers in King City, where he will begin a 90-day treatment program. This friendly ride waiting for him stands to make all the difference, and can remove the opportunity for a patient to find themselves back in a familiar situation prone to use again. Early on during their hour-long ride, Farrald tells Perez, “I appreciate you guys being here, bro. If you guys weren’t here, you know where I’m going.” For Perez, the mission is personal: “It’s very important to me to continue doing what I do,” he says. “I feel like I’m needed out here—I want to be a role model for the people I’ve done drugs with, the people I lived that life with.” For Close, this kind of connection is part of the success of the coalition. “The stigma, I think, is probably our greatest killer, because people are afraid of seeking treatment, afraid of how much they’re going to be judged. This is somebody’s son, somebody’s daughter, somebody’s sister. This is our community. These are the people. “Can you imagine if we give them the opportunity and the resources to not have to live in that level of pain? That’s what it takes.” Above: After his release from jail on March 10, Jon “Dakota” Farrald speaks with his girlfriend by phone as CCODP transports him to the Sun Street Center in King City. He immediately got a ride from CCODP to a residential rehab program. Right: After driving him to the Sun Street Center in King City, CCODP’s Hector Perez (left) offers Jon Farrald words of encouragement as he begins his treatment. “CCODP is part of my recovery,” Perez says of his work. “I don’t go to NA meetings. This is how I recover from my addiction. I have learned a lot about myself.” Above: At the CCODP clinic in Monterey, Close administers a monthly Sublocade injection to a patient. The drug blocks opioid receptors, preventing users from feeling high. Below: Close works with insurance companies to ensure access to care. Sublocade is a controlled substance with an expiration date, but can go unused if a patient loses coverage.
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