CITY OF STOCKTON & COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTERS TO LAUNCH MOBILE CRISIS INTERVENTION RESPONSE PILOT PROJECT

– On Thursday, November 3, 2022, the City of Stockton and Community Medical Centers (CMC) will announce the start date of Stockton’s first-of-its-kind mobile crisis intervention response pilot program that will launch during the month of November. Details of the new program, including an advance look at one of CMC’s mobile care units, will be announced in front of the Stockton Ballpark at Banner Island, 404 W. Fremont St., at 3:30 p.m. All members of the community are encouraged to attend.

“Community Medical Centers (CMC) is a unique service provider,” shared City Manager Harry Black. “When the City received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, we recognized immediately that there is significant need in Stockton to address mental health issues that face many members of our community. Nonviolent, low-level 9-1-1 calls for behavioral health intervention are currently handled primarily by our police department. Many of these calls are a cry for help that is more appropriately handled by street medicine teams, who are trained to provide evidence-based care built on existing, trusted relationships. CMC is already providing care to many of these individuals in our community, and they are in the best position to evaluate and select other community-based organizations to partner with them and provide the outreachand wraparound services that will support and enhance their care and the well-being of these Stockton residents."

Under its Care Link program, CMC has provided mobile health care—taking services directly where they are needed most—since 2001. In keeping with that tradition, Care Link Mobile Community Response will dispatch units to individuals with mental health issues or social service needs that can be effectively addressed by mobile health care professionals who are trained in trauma-informed care.

“We’re very excited to team with the City of Stockton on this progressive program that will deliver immediate services to residents who are best served by a trained behavioral health team,” said Christine Noguera, CMC’s Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to the mobile response units, the program will include a preventive approach that will engage individuals referred to the program, proactively address their needs, decrease the number of police calls, and divert people from the criminal justice system. CMC will provide robust wraparound services in collaboration with other community agencies that address underlying health and social needs. Over time the program will develop community trust that will decrease fear or hesitancy to call on law enforcement for help, reducing costs related to emergency calls and response.”

The initial launch and response will be in the downtown area, where CMC already has a client base, and will expand after the beginning of the year to include areas throughout the city of Stockton. City of Stockton ARPA funding of $5,760,000 has been allocated for the three-year pilot project that will expand to provide services during peak hours seven days per week. During the pilot project, CMC and the City will partner to determine how the program will become fiscally self-sustaining.

More information is available at www.stocktonca.gov/news or by contacting us at [email protected]  or (209) 937-8827 .