Contra Costa offers variety of mental health services
Mental health services are some of the most crucial programs that Contra Costa County provides.
In recent months, I have heard from a lot of constituents about the need for new mental health programs and responses in our communities. Many have written from personal experience or have had a loved one who has come in contact with our mental health care system. As my family too has experienced tragedy with mental health, I understand how personal these issues are. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the crucial responses that the Contra Costa Behavioral Health Division (CCBH) already provides.
CCBH is within Contra Costa Health Services. It’s a partnership of consumers, families, staff and community-based organizations that provides integrated services for mental health, substance abuse and other needs that promote wellness, recovery and resiliency while respecting the complexity and diversity of Contra Costa County.
When accessing services, the initial point of contact and information is the Behavioral Health Access Line. The 24/7 phone line can connect any Contra Costa resident to mental health services and resources. They can schedule appointments and get answers to insurance questions. The phone number is 1-888-678-7277. This is a mental health and emotional health crisis non-emergency phone line.
Mobile Crisis Response Team
Another one of our resources is the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT), which provides professional, same-day intervention for adults who are experiencing mental health crises. The team visits individuals and their families to prevent a mental health crisis from becoming an emergency that requires law enforcement involvement or involuntary hospitalization.
MCRT includes licensed mental health clinicians, community and family support workers, and a family nurse practitioner employed by CCBH. The goal is to deescalate the crisis and safely connect the client with care and mental health resources. There are three MCRTs across the county, two children’s teams and one adult team.
Because law enforcement does often engage with individuals having a mental health crisis, we also have Mental Health Evaluation teams. This is a partnership with law enforcement agencies. There are three regional teams, with a fourth coming online in the Sheriff’s Department. Each team includes a police officer and a full-time mental health clinician. These teams evaluate and connect the referred individual to outpatient treatment and benefits.
While our system is far from perfect, we do have some good foundational responses. However, I recognize that gaps exist in this system and that access to these valuable mental health response teams may not be uniform across the county. We are open to creative ideas and resources to expand resources across the county.
For more information on Contra Costa behavioral health services, visit cchealth.org/bhs/.
Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Mitchoff at supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us