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County launches coordinated outreach pilot for frequent users of police and social services; officials to track outcomes
Summary
Mendocino County staff described a planned countywide outreach pilot to connect frequent users of law enforcement, emergency and social services with behavioral-health and housing supports; the county will use its Heads Up referral system to track individual outcomes.
Mendocino County supervisors on Jan. 14 discussed plans to expand coordinated outreach for people who repeatedly use emergency and social services, an effort staff framed as a countywide roll-out of approaches used in Fort Bragg and other pockets of the county.
The proposed effort — described at the workshop as “CORE” (Community Outreach Response and Engagement) and linked to the existing Heads Up referral system and a mobile dual-response program — pairs law enforcement officers with behavioral-health clinicians and social-services navigators. County staff said the model aims to reduce criminal activity by addressing underlying behavioral health or substance-use needs, coordinate release planning from custody, and move frequent users toward treatment and housing rather than repeated emergency responses.
Megan Van Sant of Social Services described Heads Up, a county referral-tracking system that logs individuals, notes which agency holds responsibility, and follows outcomes such as shelter placement, treatment access or jail bookings. Officials said Heads Up will be used to identify “super-users,” measure outcomes and track whether outreach reduces repeat 911 calls, encampment complaints and overdose deaths.
Sheriff Matthew Bridal said the pilot will begin with focused overtime outreach in problem locations to remove “super-users” from the high-frequency caseloads so staff can work further down the list. Health Services Director Dr. Janine Miller and Social Services officials said existing programs and state policy changes (including new CalAIM funding structures and the Behavioral Health Services Act) create new funding and program opportunities, but also that some state-mandated programs arrive without matching local funds.
Supervisors asked for measurable definitions of success. Staff said they would track individual outcomes, including housing placements, shelter exits to permanent housing, treatment engagement and reductions in emergency responses. Board members asked staff to return with interim metrics after several months and a fuller assessment at about a year. No new county hires or budget allocations were approved at the workshop.
