San Mateo County expands mobile mental health response

San Mateo County will expand its 24/7 mobile mental health crisis response service this May, offering an alternative for residents who might be hesitant to seek help due to potential police involvement in mental health situations.

Residents can call the San Mateo County Crisis Line at 650-579-0350 or 988 for free help for themselves, family members or friends. Dispatchers will screen calls to determine the appropriate response, coordinating with 911 and emergency services if necessary. The service will be available to residents of all ages living anywhere in the county.

The county chose to launch its outreach campaign in May to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, aiming to raise awareness of the service and how to access it.

While the service is not a replacement for 911 in life-threatening emergencies, the county emphasized that many calls made to emergency services related to mental health crises may not necessarily require a police response.

“This service provides an alternative to traditional law enforcement response,” the county said in a statement. “Many county leaders, along with advocates for those with mental illness, have advocated for an approach to responding to those in a mental or behavioral health crisis without law enforcement’s involvement.”

Responders will arrive in unmarked vehicles — without lights or sirens — and will be available around the clock, every day of the year, the county said. Their goal will be to stabilize situations and, if needed, transport individuals to facilities or help determine and arrange the appropriate level of care.

Mobile team members are required to undergo extensive state-mandated training to ensure they are prepared to handle a wide range of crisis situations.

Follow-up support will be provided 24 hours after the first call, and county behavioral health services will help facilitate short- and long-term treatment plans aimed at preventing future crises.

Similar mobile mental health crisis response teams already exist in other parts of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.

San Jose previously faced scrutiny over its handling of mental health incidents after a 2023 investigation by the Bay Area News Group, KQED and the California Reporting Project found that individuals experiencing mental health issues were involved in almost three out of four of the San Jose Police Department’s use-of-force incidents reported, including 80% of fatal encounters, over a decade.

“We want to make sure it’s clear that no matter when or where in the county you are dealing with a behavioral health crisis, there is appropriate support available, and it can come to you when you need it most,” said Dr. Jei Africa, director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

A pilot program in San Mateo County ran from May 2024 through March. During that period, the mobile crisis team was deployed 320 times and served 220 clients. Response times were recorded at around 60 minutes in central county areas and within 90 minutes on the coast.

Following the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors’ approval of nearly $5 million last year, the program is structured with local nonprofit StarVista operating the call center and Telecare Corp. providing mental health clinicians.

Telecare has provided similar mobile crisis services in San Diego County since 2021.