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Half Moon Bay hears update on CARES mental‑health crisis response; council weighs short extension while county program scales up
Summary
City staff and El Centro del Libertad presented data on the CARES crisis response team, which has handled most coastside mental‑health calls since March 2022. The council discussed options to extend funding through the fiscal year while coordinating with San Mateo County’s new Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT).
El Centro del Libertad and city staff updated the Half Moon Bay City Council on March 4 about the CARES (Crisis Assistance Response and Evaluation Services) program, the city’s community mental‑health crisis response team.
Luis Valdivias, director of operations at El Centro, and CARES staff reported the program launched March 16, 2022, after a community outcry following a local tragedy. The team provides a non‑law‑enforcement response to mental‑health and wellness calls, emphasizes de‑escalation and culturally competent care, and follows up with referrals and next‑day contacts. CARES operates daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and responds across the mid‑coast area.
El Centro presented usage data: of 894 calls logged since inception, 85.5% of responses were within Half Moon Bay;…
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