County of Santa Clara Expands Mobile Crisis Response Team in North County, West Foothills

Successful program specializes in crisis intervention, mental health response

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.— The County of Santa Clara is augmenting its Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) program – which couples specialized clinicians with law enforcement to respond to individuals who may be having a mental health crisis – by adding staff dedicated to serving the North County and West Foothills areas.

The MCRT program, which started in 2018, serves Santa Clara County primarily with staff located in the central part of the County, and one team dedicated specifically to the South County area. The mission of the program is to de-escalate situations and divert individuals away from last-resort resources, such as an emergency department or jail, and toward alternative means of resolution, such as counseling, a sobering center, a respite program, or mediation through a crisis stabilization unit. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to add four additional staff members to specifically cover the District Five geographic area. District Five now includes Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Saratoga, and portions of San Jose.

“Our County has been working to make sure we deploy mental health help out in the community; this expanded effort will provide an even faster, better response,” said Supervisor Joe Simitian, who represents the areas to be served and championed bringing these teams to District Five. “Getting folks the help they need – the right kind of help – on a timely basis, when and where they need it, that’s a life-saver.”

Countywide, MCRT visits have gone from 414 in 2019 to 1,828 in 2021. Calls in that time have increased from 1,072 to nearly 5,100 last year, with spikes in volume corresponding with COVID-19 surges.

The mobile teams initially screen and assess crisis situations over the phone and intervene wherever the crisis is occurring. They provide an immediate response for crisis intervention services at locations throughout the county. The dedicated North County/West Valley team will improve the ability to respond to calls quickly with a field visit.

While the nature of calls for MCRT response vary, they often involve an individual having a dangerous mental health crisis – a psychiatric episode, a potentially suicidal individual, or another situation where de-escalation and intervention can prove critical. Some calls come in from the individual in crisis, others from concerned family members or loved ones.

“Having these teams in place will mean faster deployment, and response time is crucial for someone in the midst of a mental health crisis,” said County Behavioral Health Services Director Sherri Terao. “A caring, compassionate response delivered rapidly lets an individual know that they are valued, that they are being taken seriously, and that we want to help.”

The new positions are expected to be filled and active in the summer. In addition to MCRT, there is a Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) serving the North County and West Valley areas. Future plans include ramping up support services for calls that do not require assistance from law enforcement and integrating Children, Youth, and Family and Adult/Older Adult mobile services via federal grant funding in the coming months.

Santa Clara County residents may call the MCRT at 1-800-704-0900 and select option #2. MCRT staff are available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. A clinician is available at the same number 24 hours a day 7 days a week to assess the situation and connect callers with appropriate services, including field response to callers needing immediate assistance.

For more information, visit https://bhsd.sccgov.org/programs-services/mobile-crisis-response-team-mcrt.

ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA

The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, California, making it more populous than 14 states in the U.S. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.

Visit the County of Santa Clara at: https://www.sccgov.org

Like us on Facebook: http://Facebook.com/County.of.Santa.Clara/

Media Contact: Laurel Anderson / Eric Kurhi, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, (408) 299-5119, [email protected]

Feedback form

Contact us