San Benito County Supervisors passed a new plan for mobile crisis intervention

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- San Benito County Supervisors met Tuesday to discuss a number of agenda items, one of which involves moving forward with a plan for mobile crisis intervention.

The new program is offered from a provider called Pacific Clinics out of Santa Clara County, and was met with some concerns from county staff.

Sheriff Eric Taylor shared his concerns over the new program potentially eliminating services that the sheriff's office currently provides.

"I'm worried about response to the jail when people are in crisis. People in custody in our jail don't have a choice. They can't seek their own treatment," he said. "They're only able to get what we provide them and now behavioral health is being taken out of that equation and we don't have coverage in the jail without behavioral health."

Sheriff Taylor also shared concerns about response times to crisis when workers are in the field. He did not express concern over the actual contract nor the company that bid for the program.

"Pacific Clinic is uniquely qualified as a provider because they are willing to meet all the necessary
requirements of the State Mandate," wrote the San Benito County agenda item description.

This new program approval is a response to the State Department of Health Care Services' mandate that all counties implement Medi-Cal mobile crisis services or they may face financial repercussions.

"The benefit aims to provide community based mobile crisis intervention services to individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance use disorder crises at the location where the individual is experiencing the crisis," wrote the county's summary on the agenda item.

Said mobile services are required to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

The contract is worth $6,348,159 and expected to last from December 1, 2024 until June 30, 2027.