REDWOOD CITY – San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President David J. Canepa made the following statement on Tuesday, February 27 following the Board adopting a resolution authorizing a $4.9 million two-year agreement with Telecare Corporation for Unarmed Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Services for individuals in crisis and their families who call 988 or the StarVista hotline at (650) 579-0350.
“We’ve seen suicide rates continue to climb which is a leading cause of death for children aged 10-14, young adults 20-34, and men, mostly white, 75 years and older,” Canepa said. “Now, the county will be able to provide unprecedented services, offering a new lifeline with in-person clinical support for those in crisis or feeling suicidal right where you live. This is 24/7 unarmed and compassionate approach meant to keep individuals out of our emergency rooms or jails and handled with care by trained clinicians.”
The service will partially begin in May with one team during evening weekday hours before fully ramping up by August to five 24/7 teams and two on-call teams. It will be for people who do not need immediate hospitalization.
Once 988 calls are screened by StarVista, the hotline will dispatch clinicians trained in crisis assessment, de-escalation and intervention. They will arrive in nondescript vehicles – no lights and sirens – around-the-clock, any day of the year with the goal of stabilizing situations and, if necessary, taking individuals or arranging transportation to the appropriate level of care.
The County along with Telecare and StarVista will develop an outreach campaign to promote awareness of the hotline number and the service.
(Supervisor Canepa’s Office Release)
