Marin County Grand Jury
• 2023-2024
Marin’s Behavioral Health Services: All Calls for Help Need to Be Answered
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 9 findings
F1
BHRS does not currently have a one call/one door entry for all of residents who are seeking mental or behavioral health services. The website lists several phone numbers and contact points for its services, which is confusing to the public when seeking help.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
By December 31, 2023, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct the County’s BHRS division to develop and begin to implement a written strategic plan and operating budget detailing the enhancement, expansion, and funding of the 988 Lifeline Call Navigation Center to become the one call/one door entry for county residents who are seeking immediate help with a behavioral health crisis.
F2
Most Marin County residents have limited or no knowledge of where to call, other than 911, for help with a mental or behavioral health crisis, and the 988 Lifeline is not widely known or used.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
By December 31, 2023, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct the County’s BHRS division to develop a new public awareness and educational outreach campaign promoting the 988 Lifeline Call Navigation Center.
F3
Most calls to BHRS are not answered by a live person 24x7.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
The new 988 Lifeline represents a first step toward shifting the primary response to mental and behavioral health emergencies from law enforcement, EMS and Fire to trained behavioral health care navigators, thus reducing the burden on law enforcement, EMS and Fire so they are available for other public safety calls, and at a lower cost to the County.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
BHRS’s $125,000 historic annual funding of the Suicide Prevention Line has not been adjusted to reflect the expanded services provided by the Buckelew-run 988 Lifeline Navigation Call Center.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
A county-wide needs/gaps assessment (broader than what the Mental Health Services Act mandates) has not been completed for several years.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Despite the HHS’s Mission Statement “To promote and protect the health, well-being, self-sufficiency, and safety of all people in Marin,” the large majority of the programs and funding are limited to the approximate 20 percent of Marin’s population who qualify for Medi-Cal or are uninsured.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
The Mobile Crisis Response Team, Crisis Stabilization Unit, Access Team, and County oversight of the 988 Lifeline Navigation Center do not report to the same department manager; thus complicating the coordination and communication between the four departments.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
By December 31, 2023, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct the County’s BHRS division to create a new Behavioral Health Crisis Services department reporting directly to the division director. The new department would integrate the Access Team, the Mobile Crisis Response Team, the Crisis Stabilization Unit, and oversight of the 988 Lifeline Call Navigation Center under a single responsible and accountable management structure.
R4
By December 31, 2023, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct the County’s BHRS division to create an organizational plan to improve its utilization and outcome reporting across the Mobile Crisis Response Team, the Crisis Stabilization Unit, the Access Team and the 988 Lifeline Navigation Call Center: 1) its sharing of that data across the units within BHRS; 2) its consolidated reporting and conclusions based on that consolidated data; and, 3) its ability to consequently make informed decisions regarding staffing, funding, program development, and new service opportunities to improve behavioral health outcomes.
F9
The Mobile Crisis Response Team is not currently available 24x7 to respond to an urgent mental or behavioral health crisis.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
By December 31, 2023, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct the County’s BHRS division to develop a plan and operating budget to transition the Mobile Crisis Response Team to 24x7.