The Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) is a pilot program that resulted from collaboration between the County of San Mateo, the cities of Daly City, Redwood City, San Mateo, and South San Francisco, the non-profit organization Star Vista, and the research organization the John W. Gardner Center of Stanford University. The program assigns a mental health clinician to each participating city’s police department. The CWCRT program is based on a co-response model for calls for service involving behavioral health crises, in which police officers and the clinician respond at the same time – but separately – to the call. The officers ensure that safety is maintained, while the clinician works to assess, provide, and connect the subject in crisis with optimal services. This pilot program will last for at least 2 years, and researchers with John W. Gardner Center are studying the program’s impact and outcomes.
The below-listed data is reported by each clinician and reflects their duties and efforts.
5150 Evaluation
An evaluation in which the clinician works to determine if the subject in question is a danger to self, danger to others, or gravely disabled, per 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions code.
5150 hold
A civil detention per 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions code in which a subject is taken to a psychiatric emergency services center for evaluation by mental health professionals and can be held in a psychiatric hospital for up to 72 hours.
Clinical interventions
Efforts put forward by the clinician to improve someone’s overall wellbeing that involves the use of professional skills, such as cognitive behavioral therapies, dialectical behavioral therapies, relationship-based interventions psychoeducation, etc.
Consult with Community Partners
Discuss and communicate with partners like, LifeMoves, Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), Family Assertive Support Team (FAST), and Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) about supportive interventions.
De-escalation
Decreasing the emotional, mental, and physical stress levels of an individual or situation using non-verbal and verbal de-escalation techniques.
Collaboration with community partners
Engage and work with partners to provide both immediate and future assistance for the individual, for example, discharge planning, housing interventions, and follow up care.
Welfare Check
Officer contact with an individual when there is an inquiry into the welfare or well-being of the person which is motivated by the concern that the individual may be a danger to himself/herself or to others.
Follow up
A variety of tasks performed associated with a prior contact or call for service, such as attending meetings, making phone calls, or setting appointments regarding an individual or his/her condition or treatment.