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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; most call types were wellness and mental‑health related. The team highlighted case work, including referrals and warm handoffs to shelter and treatment that they say reduced repeat crises for some clients.
City Manager Matthew outlined funding history: CARES began with local and county seed funds plus state behavioral‑health grants (the “Badges” program). Over three years CARES received approximately $1.3 million in external grants; the Badges grant that has funded most operations is winding down at the end of March and the contract with El Centro ends the same date.
Council and staff discussed the county’s recently launched Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT), a 24/7 county program begun in July that the county intends to scale countywide. Staff said MCRT’s coastside integration is still early; county teams currently dispatch from central locations and do not yet carry the same local radio integration or established law enforcement ties CARES has built on the coast.
Council members expressed support for the CARES model and concern about sustainability if grant funds are not replaced. Several councilors favored a short extension to avoid an immediate gap while the city and county work on long‑term arrangements. Options discussed included using COPS grant dollars to fund CARES through the fiscal year (staff to confirm legal use), or placing money in a sheriff‑held account for actual services.
Council gave staff direction to return March 18 with a contract amendment and funding recommendation (Option 4 in the staff report favored by council) that would extend CARES through the end of the fiscal year if legal review confirms allowable use of COPS funds; if that path proves infeasible staff will return with a backup option. No final funding decision was adopted on March 4.
Speakers who addressed the council include members of the CARES team, Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Lothian, and several council members who emphasized the program’s local responsiveness. El Centro asked the council to consider options that avoid a service gap while county capacity matures.
Next steps: staff will pursue legal clearance for using permissible grant funds, finalize a proposed contract amendment if appropriate, and invite the county MCRT to present so council can assess long‑term integration and county responsibilities for a coastside response.
