Join El Centro de Libertad’s Celebration of Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) Pilot Program Launch
March 16th, 2022 @ 12:00pm - 2:00pm
The City of Half Moon Bay is excited to announce the launch of the Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) pilot program.
The City has contracted with a local nonprofit service provider, El Centro de Libertad, to pilot an alternative response to mental health-related 911 calls traditionally answered by fire, ambulance, or law enforcement.
Service calls appropriate for the CARES team include welfare checks, suicidal ideation and other mental health distress, substance abuse, and low-level, nonviolent concerns related to behavioral health.
The CARES team will operate within the city limits of Half Moon Bay in addition to the Moonridge Farmworker Housing Community and be staffed by a 2-person mobile unit made up of a specially trained behavioral health professional and emergency medical technician.
The CARES program will begin responding in March and the pilot will run through fall of 2022. the initial pilot will be staffed 5 days per week, 8 hours per day. Outside of those hours, 911 will dispatch a more traditional response, as appropriate.
Program updates will be presented to the Public Safety Subcommittee and the City Council throughout the duration of the pilot. The CARES program is sponsored by the City of Half Moon Bay and County of San Mateo. For more information, an in-depth staff report is available online and questions can be directed to Matthew Chidester, Deputy City Manager, at (650) 726-8272 or mchidester@hmbcity.com.
Relevant Documents:
Press Release: Half Moon Bay Partners with El Centro de Libertad and San Mateo County on Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) Pilot Program
Beginning March 16, 2022, the City of Half Moon Bay, in partnership with El Centro de Libertad and the County of San Mateo, will launch the Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services (CARES) pilot program. The CARES team will respond to 911 calls involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The team will consist of a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) or other healthcare practitioner, and an experienced behavioral health care clinician.
The CARES team will be unarmed, bilingual in Spanish and English, and be specially trained on the use of culturally competent de-escalation, crisis intervention, motivational interviewing, and suicide prevention tools to work with individuals in crisis. The CARES team response will be an alternative to law enforcement, fire, or other first responders. Comparable programs have shown that this kind of response to behavioral health emergencies helps divert individuals from costly visits to emergency rooms and unnecessary entry into the criminal justice system and helps prevent the physical harm or loss of life that sometimes result from armed crisis response.
Following initial assessment, the CARES team will provide clinical interventions, in-person “warm” handoffs to service providers, and follow-up to ensure individuals and families have the support they need while navigating care systems. Ongoing collaboration with local and regional non-profits, government agencies, and the community will be key to the success of the program, and the long-term success of its participants.
“The City of Half Moon Bay is grateful and honored to partner with El Centro de Libertad and County of San Mateo to bring this important pilot program to our community,” said Half Moon Bay Mayor Debbie Ruddock. “In situations involving a mental health crisis, the CARES program will offer an increased focus on non-violent crisis intervention, mental health care, and assistance for the long-term success of the individuals involved – instead of an immediate armed response which may be the wrong approach for individuals in crisis and could have tragic results.”
The CARES team will be dispatched in instances where there is no immediate threat of violence, with Sheriff’s deputies on standby when a higher level of response is needed. Types of calls appropriate for the CARES team include suicidal ideations, persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol, persons experiencing a mental health crisis, parents calling with concern for an adolescent exhibiting unusual behavior, or community members reporting persons in some form of emotional distress. Although these calls would not include situations where medical emergencies or acts of violence are active, the CARES team could also respond to these calls to provide support to first responders.
With a total cost of $150,000, funding for the pilot program includes $75,000 in the City’s General Fund Budget which was set aside for implementation of mental health services such as this pilot program. Thanks to the leadership of County Supervisor Don Horsley, the County has committed $75,000 in matching funds. City staff is researching legislation and pursuing grant opportunities to fund continuation or expansion of the program, including AB 988 and AB 118, which have been signed into law and could potentially provide ongoing funding for the program beginning in 2023.
The City’s partner, El Centro De Libertad, works to help individuals, families and communities of all cultures suffering from the impact of substance abuse and mental health issues to achieve and maintain health, strength, and recovery.
The City will be hosting an outdoor ceremony to commemorate the start of the CARES pilot program on Wednesday, March 16 at the El Centro De Libertad office, 225 Cabrillo Hwy S # 114B, Half Moon Bay, from noon – 2:00 p.m. The event is open to the public, and public health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are encouraged.
The City of Half Moon Bay, located 28 miles south of San Francisco, is a community of about 12,500 people situated on the Peninsula between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastlines that California has to offer. Its historic downtown is home to numerous shops, art galleries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and other businesses, and its celebrated beaches and parks are wonders of nature, accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians. With its many activities and events, beautiful natural scenery, old-town charm, and abundance of retail and commercial services, Half Moon Bay is a regional destination. www.hmbcity.com
August Howell is a staff writer for the Review covering city government and public safety. Previously, he was the Review’s community, arts and sports reporter. He studied journalism at the University of Oregon.
The New Now ~ Virtual Remote Public Agency Meetings
Watch streaming, or the Pacifica Coast TV video, that we will post. Stay tuned!
The meeting will be held at the Adcock Community Center for any members of the public who wish to speak in person, though we do encourage all members to participate remotely.
Members or the public are welcome to submit comments (in accordance with the three-minute per speaker limit) via email
to jblair@hmbcity.com prior to or during the meeting, via Facebook live during the meeting, and via two phone lines during the meeting – (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish).
The City Clerk will read all comments into the record.
Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
The City Council of Half Moon Bay
The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget.
City Council members are elected at-large to four-year, overlapping terms. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis.
The Half Moon Bay City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7 pm at the Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue.
Meetings and Agendas
The City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, at 7 pm, at Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue. City Council meeting schedule, agendas, minutes, and videos are available online. Planning on attending a City Council Meeting? Please visit our “Commenting at a City Council Meeting” information page. You can also learn about City Council Procedures and Decorum.
Strategic Elements
The City Council develops Strategic Elements to help focus the City’s actions and work plans on its key priorities. The Strategic Elements are aimed at providing high quality public services and facilities in a fiscally sustainable, responsive, and friendly manner, which fosters a safe, healthy, and thriving community.
The City Council develops Strategic Elements, Priorities, and a Capital Improvement Program to help guide the City’s actions and work plans, and focus efforts on addressing the City’s identified priority initiatives. Together, these comprise the City’s Strategic Plan.
Below is a summary noting each of the Strategic Elements and Priorities.
Click herefor more detailed information and explanations of the Strategic Elements and Strategic Priorities.
City Council Strategic Elements
Fiscal Sustainability
Healthy Communities and Public Safety
Inclusive Governance
Infrastructure and Environment
The overarching Strategic Elements describe how the City will conduct its operations in service to the community, and are based on the principles and values that outline the City’s purposes. They offer focus toward the City Council’s key priorities, and are aimed at providing high quality public services and facilities in a fiscally sustainable, responsive, and friendly manner, fostering a safe, healthy, and thriving community.
Priorities are more specific areas which the City Council deems as critical to address during a given fiscal year (or over multiple fiscal years). Each Priority has a specific set of actions to be taken, which in turn contribute to and outline the staff’s objectives and work plans.
City Council Priorities – FY 2018-19
Housing
Homelessness
Cannabis
Short Term Rentals
Parks Master Plan
Click here for more details on the FY 2018-19 Council Priorities.
Capital Improvement Program
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) addresses the community’s needs for planned infrastructure improvements over a rolling five-year period. The CIP is intended to respond to the identified needs of the community, to ensure major infrastructure – such as streets, parks, trails, public facilities, sewers, and drainage – are well-maintained for maximum safety, public use, and enjoyment. Click here to download the Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2019-20 to 2023-24.
Next City of Half Moon Bay Public Safety Committee meeting will be on Thursday, February 9th, 2022.
ing – (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish).
ing – (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish).
