To take action on community needs and feedback, The City of Santa Rosa has formed a new crisis response team – inRESPONSE: Mental Health Support Team. inRESPONSE is designed to respond to calls for service with a mental health first approach. The team is comprised of a licensed mental health clinician, a paramedic, a homeless outreach specialist, and supported by a wrap-around support services provider. inRESPONSE will be trained in de-escalation and social work interventions as well as physical and mental health evaluations. While inRESPONSE works in partnership with the Santa Rosa Police Department, the inRESPONSE team is unarmed and best equipped to support and provide mental health resources to individuals and families experiencing a crisis.
How will inRESPONSE provide support in the community?
The inRESPONSE team will respond to calls in which individuals are experiencing a mental health crisis and are unarmed. If there is any indication of violence or a weapon, an SRPD officer will initially respond first, but then transition service response to the inRESPONSE Team, once it is deemed safe. The goal is for the inRESPONSE Team to handle all calls for service where mental health is the primary concern. inRESPONSE will also partner with the City’s Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST) to identify unsheltered community members who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
The dual approach will provide the unsheltered community with additional resources, in an effort to get individuals into a more stable living environment with ongoing, wrap-around support services. inRESPONSE will provide service with a single team working 10-hour shifts, seven days a week.
Types of Calls for Service inRESPONSE will Address:
- Individuals with suicidal ideations Sheltered or unsheltered individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
- Individuals or families in need of mental health support and resources
- Individuals who are intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance
- Individuals struggling with mental health stability and in need of emergency shelter resources
- Welfare checks (when no crime is suspected)
- Requests for non-emergency medical evaluations and transports, including prescription drug refill transport and transportation to medical appointments
If there is any indication of violence or weapons, inRESPONSE would stage while Santa Rosa Police Department officers de-escalate the situation for inRESPONSE to then take over.
Key Partners in the Development of inRESPONSE:
- Buckelew Programs (Mental Health)
- Catholic Charities (Homeless Outreach)
- Humanidad Therapy and Education Services
- Santa Rosa Fire Department (Medical Response)
- County of Sonoma Behavior Health Division (Mobile Support Team)
Goals of the Program:
SRPD will be developing measures of success to constantly evaluate the progress of inRESPONSE in meeting the following program goals:
- Reduction in number of Santa Rosa Police & Fire departments calls to mental health and homeless-related incidents
- Reduced impact on local hospital emergency rooms
- Decrease in criminal charges and arrests for people who experience a mental health crisis
- More complete and holistic/wraparound services efforts focused on an upstream approach
- An increase in the number of individuals (or their loved ones) who call for support when experiencing a mental crisis, rather than weathering it alone
- Increased number of unsheltered individuals in need of mental health or substance abuse support, placed in long-term housing, and provided wrap-around services
Click here to learn more about inRESPONSE
