Starting Monday, mental health clinicians are joining law enforcement in Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City, and South San Francisco on 911 calls to provide better care for people in emergency situations.
The pilot program aims to help those in crisis, avoiding booking people unnecessarily into jail or hospitals, according to a county press release, while also freeing up officers to respond to more calls.
"This program is intended to give law enforcement a resource by teaming a police officer with a mental health clinician that can help manage high-risk situations in a way that improves outcomes and public safety," said Supervisor Don Horsley in the release.
The Community Wellness and Crisis Response Pilot Project is being funded through the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, contributing $468,388 each year for two years, and the participating cities, contributing $408,388 each year over the same time period.
The clinicians, supplied and trained by the County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) and nonprofit StarVista will go with officers to 911 calls where mental health might be playing a factor.
Police will determine if the situation is safe, and then the clinician will evaluate the person in crisis.
The program will be assessed by a group at Stanford University, fine-tuning procedures as the trial run continues.
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