Council approves amended Be Well mobile mental‑health agreement with reduced hours and lower cost

The Laguna Beach City Council voted May 20 to approve an amendment to the city’s mobile mental‑health services agreement with Be Well, continuing an on‑the‑ground crisis response van program while reducing service hours and administrative overhead.

City staff and Be Well representatives said the pilot program began in August 2023. Under the amended agreement the program will retain two crisis‑intervention specialists operating seven days a week but move to a consolidated 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily response window (an eight‑hour daily shift) to align staffing with peak call times. Staff told the council the amendment reduces the program’s annual cost from roughly $850,000 to about $491,000 while preserving core clinical responder capacity.

Why it matters: city staff said the revised model will continue mobile crisis coverage without a general‑fund impact in fiscal year 2025–26 by relying on a mix of private donations and state grants. Council members and committee reviewers — notably the Housing and Human Services Committee — praised the program as providing on‑scene mental‑health and substance‑use support and urged better integration with local emergency services, hospital discharge planning and housing navigation.

Program details and numbers presented at the meeting: staff reported the program has responded to approximately 7,300 calls since inception, with about 20% of calls originating from public‑safety dispatch. Be Well staff said the program’s client caseload is approximately 60% unhoused and 40% housed. The city manager and Be Well representatives told the council that the program would pivot to greater coordination with the hospital on emergency‑room discharges, pursue closer integration with Fire and Marine Safety for patient‑care handoffs and explore colocating administrative/reporting space at a city facility (the CRC) to save rent.

Funding and next steps: staff said the amendment keeps no general‑fund impact for FY 2025–26 by combining remaining private gifts, state grants and city‑managed funds for one year while staff and Be Well pursue sustainable funding options. Council members urged staff to increase resident awareness of the service, pursue partnerships with the hospital and Medi‑Cal/CalAIM reimbursement channels, and bring back updates on formal referral and coordination protocols.

What council decided: the council approved the staff recommendation to amend the Be Well agreement and continue the mobile crisis program under the revised staffing and financial model. Council discussion stressed the value of continued outreach, case‑management connections and better integration with mission‑hospital discharge planning.

Speakers quoted or cited in the meeting: Jeremy (city staff presenting the amendment) and Be Well representatives Blair Contrado (chief strategy officer) and Jeff Tenney (director, mobile operations) described operational changes and funding sources. Multiple council members praised program results and urged expanded collaboration with local emergency and hospital partners.

Ending: Council approved the amendment with unanimous support. Staff will proceed with the revised model, pursue partnerships to maintain funding, and report back on coordination with emergency and hospital partners.