Get urgent care support through our mobile response team
We're here for you when you're overwhelmed and need help right away.
The Behavioral Health Services Department is committed to providing wellness and recovery through comprehensive, well-planned programs and services that aim to meet the needs of the beneficiary, families, or community throughout the County of Santa Clara.
The County developed five mobile response program teams supporting various levels of risk and age groups to provide effective and compassionate crisis intervention to beneficiaries, families and the community who exhibit mental health symptoms and may be at risk for self-harm or harm to others and reduce hospitalizations and unnecessary incarcerations whenever possible.
The teams are made up of different types of practitioners and workforce members, including licensed and unlicensed waivered clinicians, Master of Social Work (MSW), Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), family specialists, and peer support workers with training and expertise in crisis response who may work closely with law enforcement, crisis hotlines, the community and family members to deliver the best services possible.
Services
- Post-crisis follow-up with individuals and families
- Referral and resource linkage, and coordination of care
- Mental health evaluations and assessments of individuals and families
- Crisis intervention, de-escalation, safety planning
- Hospital, inpatient facility, homelessness, and incarceration diversion
- Connect parents/caregivers to community supports
- Identification of coping strategies
- Stabilization services
- Evaluate and assess for 5150 Criteria
Mobile response team
Call (800) 704-0900, press 1 OR
Dial 9-8-8 for local 408, 650 and 669 area codes
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Operated by: County of Santa Clara, Bill Wilson Center and Starlight Community Services.
In-Home Outreach Team (IHOT) provides brief clinical support and linkage to behavioral health services to residents of the County of Santa Clara identified as having multiple contacts with Emergency Psychiatric Services, Emergency Rooms, Behavioral Health Urgent Care, the Criminal Justice System, and/or Mobile Crisis Response Teams within the span of a year. IHOT works to connect these residents to the ongoing support and treatment that they need within the Behavioral Health system.
IHOT eligibility criteria:
- Individuals that are 18 and older.
- Individuals within County of Santa Clara who have had 2 plus EPS visits within the last year. (The number of ED, EMS, BHUC, MCRT, TRUST, Law enforcement, and Jail contacts within the last year will also be taken into consideration).
- Individuals that have Medi-Cal or are uninsured.
- Individuals that are not already connected to a mental health treatment provider.
How can IHOT help me?
- Identify barriers that an individual might have that prevents them from receiving needed treatment.
- Provide referral for mental health and/or substance use treatment services.
- Link individual to community-based organizations and resources.
- Peer support and brief counseling until the individual is connected to a mental health provider.
Over 200 languages are available through a language service line.
Call (800) 704-0900, press 1 OR
Dial 9-8-8 for local 408, 650 and 669 area codes
Hours: Open 24-hours, 7 days a week
County of Santa Clara residents may contact the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) by calling and requesting the TRUST team.
All residents of the County of Santa Clara who are 18+ years of age are eligible for TRUST services regardless of insurance status.
The TRUST team will screen and stabilize situations over the phone, or dispatch one of the TRUST onsite field teams.
TRUST onsite field teams can be dispatched throughout Santa Clara County to assess for behavioral and medical needs, deliver de-escalation and intervention services to stabilize the situation, or provide transportation to another community service for stabilization when needed.
The TRUST onsite field team includes a Crisis Intervention Specialist, First Aide Professional and a Peer Support Specialist with training and expertise in de-escalation, crisis intervention and stabilization.
The TRUST team is a non-law enforcement involved mobile crisis response team who works closely with, crisis hotlines, the community and family members to provide intervention and follow up services.
Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) services include the following:
- No law enforcement involvement
- Behavioral and medical screening
- Intervention, stabilization and/or transportation
- De-escalation services, and
- Connect or refer people to community resources
TRUST team members use a cultural humility and peer approach in their service delivery.
Over 200 languages are available through a language service line.
Call (800) 704-0900, press 1 OR
Dial 9-8-8 for local 408, 650 and 669 area codes
Hours: Open 24-hours, 7 days a week
Operated by: Pacific Clinics
Provides stabilization and support services for children, youth, and young adults (through age 20) experiencing mental health crisis in the County of Santa Clara. Therapeutic teams will consult, assess for safety, and intervene through crisis counseling with the goal of community stabilization. Post crisis stabilization services will be provided to ensure linkage, referral, and care coordination to existing providers and/or refer for ongoing services
Provides 24-hour in-person intervention or phone support to children, youth and young adults in the County of Santa Clara who are in acute psychological/emotional crisis.
Call (800) 704-0900, press 1 OR
Dial 9-8-8 for local 408, 650 and 669 area codes
Hours: Open 24-hours, 7 days a week
All residents of the County of Santa Clara are eligible for Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) services regardless of insurance status.
Mobile crisis response teams screen and assess crisis situations over the phone and intervene wherever the crisis is occurring. They provide an immediate response and deliver crisis intervention services at locations throughout the County.
Teams of clinicians respond to individuals in crisis that exhibit mental health symptoms, may be suicidal or at-risk and need an evaluation for psychiatric hospitalization. Teams are made of master's level clinicians with training and expertise in crisis response.
Mobile Crisis Response Teams work closely with law enforcement, crisis hotlines, the community and family members.
Mobile crisis response teams services include the following:
- Crisis screening
- Intervention
- De-escalation services, and
- Connect or refer people to community resources
Clinicians use a cultural humility and best practice approach in their service delivery.
Over 200 languages are available through a language service line.
Referral through 9-1-1
Call 911 or the local non-emergency line
County of Santa Clara's Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams are dedicated two-person units comprised of a deputy or officer and a licensed mental health clinician. PERT provides a joint response for 911 calls for service that occur in designated law enforcement jurisdictions regardless of insurance status.
PERT provides rapid crisis response for situations that require a law enforcement presence. The teams arrive in an unmarked vehicle, and PERT officers are dressed down to provide a more approachable, de-escalated response.
PERT Clinicians are licensed mental health clinicians who are trained to work with law enforcement, conduct mental health evaluations and assessments, and assist in determining the appropriate disposition supporting individuals' needs and safety. PERT units have received Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and Hostage/Crisis Negotiation training.
Psychiatric Emergency Response Team services include the following:
- real-time crisis response and intervention
- threat mitigation, de-escalation
- connect or refer people to community resources
- referral to Peer Linkage follow-up support to reduce future encounters with law enforcement
- diversion from EPS and Jail whenever possible
Clinicians use a cultural humility and best practice approach in their service delivery.
Over 200 languages are available through a language service line.
PERT is currently operational at two law enforcement agencies in County of Santa Clara:
- Sheriff’s Office
Sunday - Friday, 1:00pm to 11:00pm
Responds to Unincorporated Santa Clara County, and Cities of Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills - Santa Clara Police Department
Tuesday - Friday, 7:00am to 5:30pm
Responds to City of Santa Clara
FAQs
Have questions about our services? Read through our frequently asked questions below:
Q: Is the 120 days limit a set timeframe?
A: It is not necessary for many clients to stay open with IHOT for that length of time; however, some
clients are extended past the 120 days as well if there is no waitlist or more time is needed to connect client to services.
Q: What is the function for a peer support worker? What do they do?
A: Take on specific clients and go out in teams to meet with clients; Peer Support worker with community
worker or clinician and try to engage client and hopes is that they may relate better and make them feel more comfortable.
Q: How does the IHOT team ensure that monolingual clients are given the appropriate support they need?
A: There is bilingual staff available to meet the needs of monolingual clients, and if staff is not available in the language needed, then the language line is utilized
Q: How can staff with the Suicide & Crisis Hotline know that a client has had 2 plus contacts with Emergency Psychiatric Services and/or other systems of care within the last year?
A: They can ask the client during the call, and IHOT will later screen for eligibility.
Q: What is needed so that the County IHOT team can screen for eligibility?
A: The client’s name and date of birth are needed. It is also extremely helpful to have their address or
location, and contact number on their referral.
Q: Can we tell callers that they are being referred to IHOT?
A: Yes, you will tell them that you think they would benefit from this program
Q: How difficult is it to provide follow up to homeless clients?
A: Find out if there is a general area the client stays and IHOT will go look for them, or ask if there is an
emergency contact person that IHOT can contact or they can put an alert in HMIS and they will call IHOT from shelter or through Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS) or jail.
Q: What is the main goal of TRUST?
A. The main goal of TRUST is to keep individuals in Santa Clara County who are emotionally distressed out of jails and hospitals and in a safe space within the community in which they live.
Q: What type of services does TRUST offer?
A: TRUST provides low-risk de-escalation assistance, referrals, and stabilization services in Santa Clara County. All TRUST team members are compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive, and seek to provide behavioral health and basic medical assessment services through phone or in-person support.
Q: How is TRUST different from other services already offered?
A: TRUST is available to meet community members where they are versus in a clinical setting and can provide a wide range of services based on the individual’s unique needs. We bring the support to you.
Q: Who can access TRUST services?
A: Any Santa Clara County resident can access TRUST services. However, if the person in need is under the age of 18, TRUST will transfer them to the county’s youth mobile crisis provider.
Q: What happens if someone calls TRUST from outside of Santa Clara County?
A: TRUST is only for Santa Clara County residents. To access behavioral health services outside of Santa Clara County, callers should dial 988.
Q: Is there a fee for contacting TRUST? Do you need insurance for services?
A: No, there is no fee for contacting the TRUST team or accessing TRUST in the community. The team will respond to calls whether a person has insurance or not. Sometimes there may be a cost, if an individual needs a higher level of services such as emergency medical transport.
Q: What type of calls does TRUST respond to?
A: TRUST responds to calls that do not pose a public safety risk. These calls are oftentimes preventative and may involve individuals and/or family members of individuals who are intoxicated, disoriented, or struggling with their mental health, encountering suicidal thoughts, dealing with extreme grief or are emotionally distressed.
Q: What type of training does the TRUST team have? Will the TRUST team have crisis intervention and de- escalation training?
A: Yes, all TRUST staff are trauma- informed and trained in de-escalation and crisis resolution. The teams will be able to assess and de-escalate crisis and low risk behavioral health situations or access emergency services for assistance when needed.
Q: What can I expect when the TRUST team arrives?
A: The TRUST teams will arrive in a vehicle that has the TRUST logo. Each team will have 2-4 people with both professional and lived experience. This may include a Crisis Intervention Specialist, First Aid Responder, and a Peer Support Specialist. The TRUST team, who will be easily identifiable in TRUST attire, will arrive, assess the situation, and provide trauma-informed care in the form of interventions, referrals, and safety planning.
Q: Does TRUST provide transportation?
A: Based on the severity of the situation, the TRUST team can provide transportation to a sobering center, crisis stabilization unit, or mental health urgent care.
Q: What happens if a situation escalates after the TRUST team arrives?
A: Though TRUST responds to calls that are initially deemed low-risk, sometimes the situation will change when the team arrives on-site. When these situations occur, TRUST will defer to higher levels of community support, including law enforcement and/or emergency medical services. When additional community supports are engaged, the TRUST team will remain on-site to support those teams with mental health or psychiatric support as needed.
Q: Does TRUST write 5150 holds?
A. TRUST has the ability to assess for involuntary holds for individuals who are proactively seeking help, though it is ultimately up to the evaluating team to determine if the individual is meeting criteria, which may include not eating or sleeping, being unhoused, etc.
Q: What type of follow up care does TRUST provide?
A: The TRUST team will provide resources for continued care. One to three days after initial contact, a TRUST team member will conduct a follow-up call to provide additional resources and support as needed. This service may apply to both the individual in distress as well as their family members, friends, caregivers and/or neighbors.
Q: If someone in the community calls and says their child is displaying symptoms of mental health, would you dispatch a team to their location?
A: First, we screen over the phone and assess the safety risk level to determine if over the phone or in- person response is more appropriate. The team will then coordinate which staff will respond and determine an ETA and provide that to the caller. MRSS can respond anywhere in the community (i.e., schools, homes, medical facilities, etc.)
Q: What languages are you equipped to support?
A: Team currently staffs English and Spanish speakers on the team, for other language needs the team uses an over the phone translation service to support with calls or in person language needs
Q: Would MRSS respond to a call where parents are having an argument with their child who is not attending school or doing homework and child is being volatile, verbally aggressive and/or experiencing ongoing explosive outburst towards parents.
A: Yes, ultimately the family defines the crisis. Anything beyond a typical fight that they are unable to manage or de-escalate, MRSS can go out and provide de-escalation and try to resolve prior to crisis and assist with brief family mediation.
Q: What information is needed if you have a caller in crisis?
A: First and last name of person in crisis, school name/ location of the youth, zip code, phone number of individual calling, caregiver information if person is a minor, what is the current crisis (what is happening right now) safety concerns, any medical needs.
Q: Is it MRSS staff who answer the calls?
A: In general, yes. If an MRSS staff is unavailable to answer the call, then a third-party answering service called “Physicians Answering Service” will answer. The answering service will gather the basic information, disconnect with the caller, contact MRSS staff and provide them the detailed collected. MRSS will contact the caller within 5-10 minutes.
Q: Can a young person call for themselves?
A: Yes, anyone can call; it can be the person in crisis or a concerned 3rd party (i.e., parent, provider, doctor etc.)
Q: Do you provide trainings or presentations to school staff?
A: Yes, we will go out to the schools and provide them trainings and presentations to help them practice possible safety screening questions with youth and how to access our services if needed.
Q: Do you have support with law enforcement to come out with you?
A: Most of the time MRSS does not respond with law enforcement. However, there are situations where either law enforcement asks us to do an assessment and help stabilize a youth that they have responded to or MRSS teams will activate law enforcement directly if there is an immediate safety concern that staff cannot support themselves. MRSS staff are not hands on and cannot restrain in the field. Some examples of when MRSS may activate law enforcement could be if the person in crisis is threatening others with a weapon or is actively harming another person.
Q: Does MRSS provide training to law enforcement?
A: MRSS provides trainings and outreach with law enforcement throughout the county and collaborates with their crisis teams and officers.
Q: Who is staffed on the team?
A: Our team consists of Family Specialists, who are Bachelor level and/or have lived experience trained as mental health supports and Clinicians who are Master level Licensed and Licensed Waivered Clinical Social Workers, Marriage Family Therapists, and professional Clinical Counselors. Typically, a Clinician and Family Specialist will respond to crisis calls together to support both the person in crisis as well as their caregiver/supports to stabilize the current crisis. Depending on the level of acuity, a team of Family Specialists or a team of Clinicians may respond to the crisis call.
Q: What is the process if all MRSS teams are busy?
A: There are times when our staff is unavailable due to being dispatched out to other crises, in those situations our team can support the caller by determining most appropriate immediate support via phone. This can typically mean either activating a different crisis support team or law enforcement (if there is immediacy) or exploring ways for caller to monitor and maintain safety until an MRSS team member becomes available.
Q: Does your program provide follow up services after a response?
A: If there is a need, we can arrange for over the phone or in-person follow ups for up to 30 days
Q: How close do you work with school counselors? Do you talk to the school district about your services?
A: Yes, most of our calls are by school counselors during school hours. MRSS teams try to keep the counselors updated and involved so counselors can support the youth when they return to school.
Q: How does someone access MCRT?
A: MCRT resources are available by calling 988, calls will be screened, and support is provided based on level of mental health need.
Q: What is the general response time?
A: Clinicians are spread throughout the county; however, there may be delays based on availability.
Q: Does MCRT always respond with Law Enforcement?
A: MCRT does not respond with Law Enforcement on all calls, they assess and evaluate the call for behaviors and safety conditions and request Law Enforcement based on the criticality of the situation.
Q: Does law enforcement who respond with MCRT wear uniforms?
A: Law Enforcement agencies wear uniforms based on their policies, some consist of casual identifiable attire with badges and utility belts, while others may be in full uniform.
Q: What can I do if I believe a 5150 was not warranted or the process was not explained before participating in the assessment?
A: Individuals can file a grievance or complaint by calling 1-800-704-0900, option #5.
Q: What typically happens during a 5150 (72-hour) hold?
A: If a client meets a 5150 criteria they will be detained and held at a LPS facility for up to 72 hours and be assessed by a psychiatrist.
Q: What kind of treatment will clients receive after the 72-hours (5150) has expired?
A: Upon discharge, attending LPS staff will offer clients voluntary resources (i.e., therapy services, case management services, psychotropic medication, crisis residential, etc.). If the psychiatrist assesses that a client requires additional stabilization, a hearing will be held to determine that the client requires a 5250 hospitalization (2 weeks).
Q: Can someone other than the individual experiencing a mental health condition call for support?
A: Yes, anyone can call for support.
Q: Are officers Crisis Intervention Trained?
A: Yes, PERT Officers and Clinicians are Crisis Intervention Trained.
Q: If SACS called 911, would they be able to request the PERT Team
A: Yes, they may request PERT, but a response is dependent on availability and circumstances of the call.
Q: What if Law Enforcement responds to a call and they do not have a Clinician paired with them but see they need mental health support?
A: Law Enforcement may decide to request a PERT response over the radio, or they may contact PERT and request a consultation to support their response to the call. Law Enforcement may also resolve the call appropriately, and they may decide to submit a referral to PERT to follow up with the individual.
Q: How do they handle a caller who needs Mental Health support but is under the influence and are afraid to ask for help in fear they will get in trouble for being under the influence?
A: In circumstances where there is a misdemeanant crime, not involving violence or threats of violence, law enforcement attempts to balance the need for a physical arrest with providing the individual with mental health services as recommended by PERT. If appropriate, law enforcement may cite and release the individual if certain conditions are met.