In its four years of existence, the county's Mobile Crisis Response Team program has grown exponentially and helped thousands of San Diegans, county leaders said Wednesday.
Started in January 2021 as a pilot program, the MCRTs received just 131 calls in their first year. But between July 2023 and June 2024 -- the period with the most recent data -- the number of calls had increased to 7,000.
The teams, which have also grown from just two to 44, are made up of trained mental health professionals such as licensed mental health clinicians, case managers and peer support specialists who can help de-escalate behavioral health crises without involving law enforcement, county officials said.
"These teams are effectively meeting those in crisis where they are and stabilize more than 50% of cases in the field, reducing stress on law enforcement," said Luke Bergmann, the county's director of Behavioral Health Services. "These interactions are improving outcomes and connecting people with services to change their trajectory moving forward."
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Late last year, the MCRTs became available to every school district in the county from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The county's Health and Human Services Agency provided some common signs of a behavioral health crisis -- whether a mental health or substance- related crisis:
-- Changes in mood or behaviors that cause concern;
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-- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide;
-- Sudden changes to hygiene and self-care practices;
-- Unusual thoughts, sounds or visions that cause fear or distress;
-- Sudden onset or increase of substance use;
-- Feeling hopeless or helpless; and/or
-- Sense of loss of control over thoughts, feelings, emotions or behaviors.
"Teams can respond to behavioral health crises that do not include threats of violence or medical emergencies," a county statement reads. "These teams provide assessments, leverage crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, and connect individuals with services and resources."
When the program began in 2021, county supervisors noted that during the 2019-20 fiscal year, local law enforcement agencies received more than 54,000 calls involving a psychiatric crisis.
"Mental health, homelessness and drug use frequently intersect with the criminal justice system and too often the outcomes fall short of helping people who face these challenges," District Attorney Summer Stephan said at the time. "That's why our Blueprint for Mental Health Reform recommended [these] Mobile Crisis Response Teams -- so that those suffering mental health crisis get a compassionate and effective response while at the same time keeping our region safe."
