Ventura County Grand Jury • 1995-1996

County Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team First Final Report January 1996

6 pages

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⚠️ 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 13 findings

Mental Health Crisis Team professionals are called by the police to deal with persons 97 who are threatening suicide or who are disoriented. They are not called if the situation is dangerous or if the person is subject to arrest. When a call is received by the police, an officer is sent out to investigate. After the situation is "stabilized" or made safe, the Crisis Team may be called.

In some situations, where there are no weapons involved, a Crisis Team can assist the person in trouble and thereby free the officer for more demanding police duty.

The problems most often encountered by the Crisis Teams are teenage runaways, disoriented persons who have lost their way, irrational persons who are disturbing the peace, homeless persons in difficulty and persons who are threatening suicide. About 60% of their calls require referral to another agency.

The evaluation of a person for appropriate referral or for observation at the Mental Health facility can be made by either the Crisis Team or the police officers. According to section 5150 of the State Welfare and Institutions Code, a person who is thought to be a danger to self or others may be held involuntarily in a mental facility for up to 72 hours for evaluation and/or treatment.

Crisis Teams can also be called on a 24 hour "hotline", by private citizens and other agencies. The teams may ask the person calling to come into the office, offer to meet him/her at a hospital or go out to the location of the problem.

Housing the Mobile Crisis Team of the County Mental Health Department in the same building with the East Valley County Sheriff's Department is an attempt to solve the problem of distance and travel time between the eastern portion of the county and Ventura. Calls for the crisis team have increased steadily. Whenever the Crisis Team can transport person to a mental facility, a police officer is freed for regular patrol duties.

There is no local back-up Crisis Team for a second crisis situation when the primary team is out on a call. The telephone calls are automatically transferred to the Ventura office where it would take another team 30-60 minutes to drive to the eastern part of the county to respond to an emergency.

For coverage of the cities in western Ventura County, including unincorporated areas, the Mobile Crisis Teams and the other counselors are housed in the Mental Health Department building in Ventura.

The Mental Health Department reports that the counselors and Crisis Teams received a total of 1,810 calls a month during the past thirteen months ending October, 1995. They respond to problems/emergencies on an average of 123 times each month, either by phone or in person.

F10

Of the total, an average of 86 referrals to the Mental Health Department have been from the police departments during the past twelve months, ending October, 1995.

F11

The City of Ventura Police Department reports that it uses the Mobile Crisis Team frequently and has placed an average of eight persons per month into the Mental Health Unit for observation during the past five months, ending in October, 1995. There has been a long history of working together and a new program was started a year ago that includes regular meetings between officers and counselors. The Police Department considers the expertise of the Mobile Crisis Team a valuable asset. 98

F12

Four out of the five police departments interviewed said that the Crisis Teams could provide valuable assistance in preventing crime and fostering neighborhood cooperation.

F13

While the police departments generally feel that the Crisis Teams are a valuable resource, they are concerned that they may not be available on a permanent basis due to lack of funding by the county. This adversely affects developing programs of cooperation.

Recommendations 9

R1

Due to recent tragic situations resulting in death and injury to both officers and mental patients, permanent Crisis Teams should be set up. When the police receive a call that is designated "a 5150" (danger to self or others), it should trigger an immediate call to the Mental Health Department Crisis Teams.
R2

The Mental Health Crisis Teams should continue to provide training to police departments and make sessions available to police personnel at mutually convenient times.
R3

The police departments (city and county) develop a program of cooperation and training with the Crisis Teams in order to use both agencies efficiently. The program that is now being implemented between the City of Ventura and the Crisis Teams can be used as a model. Meetings between the Crisis Teams counselors and the police officers can be scheduled on a regular basis and also as situation arise.
R4

The Crisis Team supervisors should set up meetings with police officers and counselors in order for the counselor to learn more about how the police can handle persons who are in trouble.
R5

The Mental Health Department should set up a system that will record the number of times that the Mobile Crisis Teams are used in conjunction with the police in each jurisdiction.
R6

Funds for the Mobile Crisis Teams should be provided on a permanent basis. The Board of Supervisors should find a method to provide funds and designate Crisis Teams as a matter of public safety.
R7

Law enforcement agencies should also seriously consider providing Crisis Team funds under this designation as a function of public safety.
R8

Funds should be provided immediately for a back-up team to be put "on alert" for the East Valley when the primary team is out on a call.
R9

Funds that were deleted last year should be replaced for the support staff of a half-time Office Assistant III. RESPONSE Due from elected officials and from public officials Response: Ventura County Mental Health On behalf of the entire Mental Health Department and especially the manager and staff of our Crisis Team, we would like to thank the Grand Jury for their interest in mental health crisis services and our interface with local law enforcement. We strongly agree that this partnership is very important for our community and should receive priority for planning and support. This written response will focus on those recommendations and actions within the authority and responsibility of the Mental Health Department. Recommendations related to County budget priorities or the policies and procedures of the Sheriff's Department or local police agencies require a response beyond the authority of the Mental Health Department. RECOMMENDATIONS: