Now serving all ages in East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Mateo, and South San Francisco.
StarVista’s Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT), in collaboration with San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and 8 police departments—East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Mateo, and South San Francisco—works to improve law enforcement responses to individuals experiencing mental health crises.
Building on best practice models from other jurisdictions, the program strengthens City and County responses by embedding a StarVista Mental Health Clinician with each partner police department. These clinicians provide critical support during crisis situations, including safety planning, referrals to therapeutic services or hospitalizations, and guidance connecting individuals to ongoing care and support services.
When a mental health crisis is suspected, law enforcement personnel and a Mental Health Clinician are dispatched to the scene. The team’s immediate priority is de-escalating the crisis to ensure safety. The clinician then evaluates the individual and determines the most appropriate next steps, such as initiating a 5150 hold, developing a safety plan, making a treatment referral, or connecting the individual to other resources.