Redwood City Hires Mental Health Clinician To Work With Police

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Redwood City announced the hiring of a new community wellness and crisis response team mental health clinician who will respond to 911 calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Patricia Baker, who has previously worked on the Marin County Drug Court Team and provided therapy to inmates in Solano County jails, was introduced via a news release last week.

In her second week of training, Baker successfully de-escalated a situation involving a teenager in a mental health crisis, according to Police Chief Dan Mulholland.

Baker is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has done two fellowships through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis’ Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Therapy Program.

“Many residents have called upon the City to consider alternative service delivery models, particularly related to calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis,” City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz said. “As we focus on reimagining public safety services, this is a first step to improve support for a person undergoing a crisis.”

Baker is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), has completed two fellowships through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis’ Palo Alto Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program, and holds a Masters in Arts in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley.

Redwood City, along with San Mateo, Daly City and South San Francisco, is taking part in the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Pilot Project initiated by San Mateo County.

The program will involve clinicians from the local nonprofit StarVista embedding with police officers from each city, deploying along with them on calls regarding people suspected of experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. The clinicians will "assess the individual and determine the best methods of immediate care" after officers declare the scene safe, according to a county news release.

Baker will also provide training to Redwood City police officers for behavioral health, crisis response and de-escalation.