Board approves after‑hours crisis‑response contract with Cornerstone Family Services

The Madera County Board of Supervisors on June 17 approved a multi‑year contract (consent item 5g) to provide after‑hours behavioral health crisis‑response services through Cornerstone Family Services, with funding of $1,590,000 noted in the item backup. The agreement is intended to supplement county behavioral health staff outside regular business hours.

During consent‑calendar discussion Supervisor (identified in transcript as Supervisor 13) asked whether the contract forms part of the county’s task‑force work with law enforcement and community partners. Amber (behavioral health staff) clarified the contract is a “standalone separate contract” distinct from the sheriff’s task force. She said deputies, hospital staff, families or members of the public can call a crisis line that will dispatch Cornerstone after hours: “A worker can call. Sheriffs can call, and we can get somebody out there, to help with crisis services. So it's just for after hours.”

Shelley, identified in the transcript as director of Cornerstone Family Services, described the organization’s dispatch model and geography: Cornerstone has offices in Madera, Madera Ranchos, Oakhurst and other Central Valley locations and keeps two supervisors on call at night who dispatch teams as needed. “We do get dispatched from Alameda County,” Shelley said, explaining how calls route to Cornerstone supervisors and staff. She described typical callers as hospitals, law enforcement and family members, and said response times within the city of Madera “is up to 1 hour … but we always try to make that response time a lot quicker.”

Shelley told the board Cornerstone aims to reduce strain on law enforcement and hospitalizations by providing on‑scene assessments, safety planning, and referrals. She said the vendor will provide two two‑person teams for the city and one two‑person team for eastern Madera County during the after‑hours period.

Behavioral Health staff clarified that county staff will handle daytime crisis response (8 a.m.–5 p.m.) while Cornerstone will cover nights, weekends and holidays. The board approved the consent calendar, including this contract, by roll call vote 5-0. No additional vote was recorded specifically for the contract; it passed as part of the consent calendar.