San Diego County’s Mobile Crisis Response Teams are celebrating four years of offering vital support to residents facing mental health and substance abuse emergencies.
Since their launch as a pilot program in January 2021, the teams were designed to connect people with trained mental health professionals to de-escalate behavioral health crises without the need of local law enforcement.
According to a 2021 county report, more than 54,000 calls involving a psychiatric crisis were made to 9-1-1 operators during the 2020 fiscal year.
Officials say that the teams better serve the community, while also placing less strain on law enforcement resources, by providing licensed mental health clinicians, case managers and peer support specialists who are better equipped to handle such issues.
To District Attorney Summer Stephen, the teams offer a solution that prioritizes mental health so that those in crisis aren’t forgotten.
“Mental health, homelessness and drug use frequently intersect with the criminal justice system and too often the outcomes fall short of helping people who face these challenges,” Stephan said. “That’s why our Blueprint for Mental Health Reform recommended (these) Mobile Crisis Response Teams – so that those suffering mental health crisis get a compassionate and effective response while at the same time keeping our region safe.”
In its first year, during the pilot project, the teams received 131 emergency calls. The county Communications Office reported an increase to 7,000 calls between July 2023 and June 2024. The teams of responders also have grown significantly, from two to 44 to handle the increased calls.
All told, the teams have responded to 17,000 calls over the four years of the program.
Their emergency services have been assigned to different regions in the county through two providers — Telecare and Exodus.
Telecare MCRT services are offered in five regions including North Inland, North Central, Central, East and South. Exodus MCRT serves the North Coastal Region.
As of November, the teams also serve public school districts (grades K-12), charter schools, and adult schools in the county.
Whether a crisis occurs during or after school hours, faculty members in more than 700 schools have received instructions to on how to contact the MCRT dispatch center for support during an emergency.
The county’s Health and Human Services Agency outlined several common signs of a behavioral health crisis, including those related to mental health or substance use:
- Changes in mood or behaviors that cause concern;
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide;
- Sudden changes to hygiene and self-care;
- Unusual thoughts, sounds or visions that cause fear or distress;
- Sudden onset or increase of substance use;
- Feeling hopeless or helpless, and/or
- Sense of loss of control over thoughts, feelings, emotions or behaviors.
For more information on local treatment facilities, programs and resources visit San Diego County’s Behavioral Health Services website.
