In Stockton, a mobile community response team is stepping in to provide mental health crisis support, reducing the burden on first responders and offering a free service to residents.The Mobile Community Response Team, led by program manager Lindsay Lopez, is constantly on standby, ready to mobilize when anyone has a mental health crisis.”One-hundred percent, I feel like we’re saving lives,” Lopez said. “We’ve had times where people are calling, and there’s no one else answering.”The team is contracted through the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, sending clinicians in place of first responders. During an interview, the dispatcher received a call for a welfare check, prompting the team to jump into action and head out the door in minutes. “Somebody could have indicated that they either wanted to harm themselves or felt like ending their life, so they’re going out on a call right now to check on a community member,” Lopez said.Lopez noted that the team doesn’t just show up, but is asked to come by either the police or the person in crisis.She said it provides a more personal and less intimidating presence than traditional first responders. This approach frees up vital resources, allowing firefighters to focus on putting out flames and police officers to chase down criminals instead of responding to every welfare check. “The police department has been working on recruiting efforts to hire the best new officers to have our city filled appropriately,” Lopez said. “But in the meantime, you can’t negate the fact that we’ve had 22,000 calls with community members looking to have a different response.”The team operates without blue lights or sirens, using a van with mental health professionals ready to help. The service is under the Community Medical Center, which has a contract with Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention. It is a free resource, and residents do not need insurance to call.They’re taking calls at 833-311-2273 seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., including holidays.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
STOCKTON, Calif. —
In Stockton, a mobile community response team is stepping in to provide mental health crisis support, reducing the burden on first responders and offering a free service to residents.
The Mobile Community Response Team, led by program manager Lindsay Lopez, is constantly on standby, ready to mobilize when anyone has a mental health crisis.
“One-hundred percent, I feel like we’re saving lives,” Lopez said. “We’ve had times where people are calling, and there’s no one else answering.”
The team is contracted through the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, sending clinicians in place of first responders. During an interview, the dispatcher received a call for a welfare check, prompting the team to jump into action and head out the door in minutes.
“Somebody could have indicated that they either wanted to harm themselves or felt like ending their life, so they’re going out on a call right now to check on a community member,” Lopez said.
Lopez noted that the team doesn’t just show up, but is asked to come by either the police or the person in crisis.
She said it provides a more personal and less intimidating presence than traditional first responders. This approach frees up vital resources, allowing firefighters to focus on putting out flames and police officers to chase down criminals instead of responding to every welfare check.
“The police department has been working on recruiting efforts to hire the best new officers to have our city filled appropriately,” Lopez said. “But in the meantime, you can’t negate the fact that we’ve had 22,000 calls with community members looking to have a different response.”
The team operates without blue lights or sirens, using a van with mental health professionals ready to help.
The service is under the Community Medical Center, which has a contract with Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention. It is a free resource, and residents do not need insurance to call.
They’re taking calls at 833-311-2273 seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., including holidays.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel