City Of Half Moon Bay: Half Moon Bay To Launch Crisis Assistance Response And Evaluation Services (CARES) Pilot Program

Press release from the City of Half Moon Bay:

March 3, 2022

Learn more about the Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) Pilot Program, which kicks off on March 16. Click here to learn more!

(Para ver esta carta en español, oprime aquí)

Beginning March 16, 2022, the City of Half Moon Bay, in partnership with El Centro de Libertad and the County of San Mateo, will launch the Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) pilot program. The CARES team will respond to 911 calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The team will consist of a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) or other healthcare practitioner, and an experienced behavioral health care clinician.

The CARES team will be unarmed, bilingual in Spanish and English, and be specially trained on the use of culturally competent de-escalation, crisis intervention, motivational interviewing, and suicide prevention tools to work with individuals in crisis. The CARES team response will be an alternative to law enforcement, fire, or other first responders. Comparable programs have shown that this kind of response to behavioral health emergencies helps divert individuals from costly visits to emergency rooms and unnecessary entry into the criminal justice system and helps prevent the physical harm or loss of life that sometimes result from armed crisis response.

Following initial assessment, the CARES team will provide clinical interventions, in-person “warm” handoffs to service providers, and follow-up to ensure individuals and families have the support they need while navigating care systems. Ongoing collaboration with local and regional non-profits, government agencies, and the community will be key to the success of the program, and the long-term success of its participants.

“The City of Half Moon Bay is grateful and honored to partner with El Centro de Libertad and County of San Mateo to bring this important pilot program to our community,” said Half Moon Bay Mayor Debbie Ruddock. “In situations involving a mental health crisis, the CARES program will offer an increased focus on non-violent crisis intervention, mental health care, and assistance for the long-term success of the individuals involved - instead of an immediate armed response which may be the wrong approach for individuals in crisis and could have tragic results.”

The CARES team will be dispatched in instances where there is no immediate threat of violence, with Sheriff’s deputies on standby when a higher level of response is needed. Types of calls appropriate for the CARES team include suicidal ideations, persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol, persons experiencing a mental health crisis, parents calling with concern for an adolescent exhibiting unusual behavior, or community members reporting persons in some form of emotional distress. Although these calls would not include situations where medical emergencies or acts of violence are active, the CARES team could also respond to these calls to provide support to first responders.

With a total cost of $150,000, funding for the pilot program includes $75,000 in the City’s General Fund Budget which was set aside for implementation of mental health services such as this pilot program. Thanks to the leadership of County Supervisor Don Horsley, the County has committed $75,000 in matching funds. City staff is researching legislation and pursuing grant opportunities to fund continuation or expansion of the program, including AB 988 and AB 118, which have been signed into law and could potentially provide ongoing funding for the program beginning in 2023.

The City’s partner, El Centro De Libertad, works to help individuals, families and communities of all cultures suffering from the impact of substance abuse and mental health issues to achieve and maintain health, strength, and recovery.  

The City will be hosting an outdoor ceremony to commemorate the start of the CARES pilot program on Wednesday, March 16 at the El Centro De Libertad office, 225 Cabrillo Hwy S # 114B, Half Moon Bay, from noon – 2:00 p.m.  The event is open to the public, and public health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are encouraged.

This press release was produced by the City of Half Moon Bay. The views expressed here are the author’s own.