Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Jei Africa, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Subject: Agreement with Felton Institute for Law Enforcement Co-responding Behavioral Health Crisis Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Felton Institute for law enforcement co-responding behavioral health crisis services, for the term of October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $932,305.
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BACKGROUND:
On January 12, 2020, this Board approved the resolution to enter into the Pilot Program of Community Wellness Crisis Response Team (CWCRT), a partnership among four City Police Departments (Daly City, South San Francisco, San Mateo, and Redwood City) and the County, to embed one mental health clinician in each of those cities' police departments to provide a co-response to crisis calls involving mental health issues. The County expanded its contract with StarVista and its crisis intervention services to include provision of mental health clinicians for the CWCRTs. Under the Pilot Program, clinicians assisted in the first response by providing early intervention, crisis de-escalation, 5150 evaluations, involuntary holds, referrals to therapeutic hospitalizations, and guidance to support services for individuals in mental health crisis.
On May 26, 2023, the County of San Mateo was awarded by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) of the Governor's Office the 2022 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to expand its CWCRT Program to East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Bruno to improve public safety and mental health by creating cross-sector collaboration and coordination between law enforcement, BHRS, and mental health providers.
In February 2024, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) contracted with StarVista to operate the CW...
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