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TeleCare outlines 24/7 mobile crisis response for San Mateo County; council presses for local staging
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Summary
TeleCare administrators told the Midcoast Council about the county's 24/7 mobile crisis call center and response teams, reporting about 650 calls and roughly 100 in-person deployments in December and a deployment outcome split of about 60% stabilized in place, 30% voluntary transport and 10% psychiatric holds; council members pressed TeleCare on 3045 minute response times to the coast and local familiarity.
David Seidner, administrator for TeleCare's San Mateo County crisis call center and mobile crisis response team, presented to the Midcoast Community Council on Jan. 28 about how the county's mobile crisis program operates and how it serves coast-side communities.
Seidner said the service is a Medi-Cal benefit established under state law and that San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) expanded eligibility so any individual physically present in county limits can access the service. He described the typical response unit as a clinician paired with a peer recovery coach and noted TeleCare bills Medi-Cal through BHRS; private insurance is billed only with permission and uninsured or undocumented people are still served.
Seidner gave operation metrics: in December the call center received about 650 local calls and TeleCare made roughly 100 in-person deployments that month. He said deployments typically end in one of three ways: "about 60% the person stabilizes in the community," "about 30% the member will voluntarily go with us to self-present to psychiatric emergency," and "about 10% or less we will do a psychiatric hold (county designees can initiate holds)." Seidner also said TeleCare began 24/7 operations in September 2024 and that the 60/30/10 breakdown has been consistent.
Council members raised local concerns. Members asked whether TeleCare stages cars closer to the coast and objected that typical response times of 30 minutes in the county and about 45 minutes to reach the coast feel too long for urgent situations. Seidner said TeleCare tracks response times with the county contract monitor, stages cars across north, central and south county during peak hours, and will discuss with BHRS the possibility of additional local staging; he also offered to bring a TeleCare vehicle to the council so members could see equipment and staffing.
Members also asked about continuity with prior local programs (CARES) and local familiarity. Seidner acknowledged TeleCare's limited saturation in the coast community, said he has attempted to connect with local stakeholders and asked the council for contact names and emails to improve outreach, and described TeleCare's bilingual resources and interpreter services for non-English calls. He noted he would provide a deliverable list and contact information to the council following the meeting.
When asked about safety and involuntary holds, Seidner described the screening and on-scene risk assessment process (a seven-page state standardized risk tool) and said TeleCare has protocols to clear scenes and coordinate with the sheriff's department when needed; he said the team has not had to activate a silent alarm in a year and a half of service. Speakers also referenced SB 43 in the context of eligibility expansions and the county's authority for initiating holds.
Seidner's presentation prompted the council to request follow-up deployment and unique-client breakdowns for the coast, and he agreed to return with additional data and outreach plans.
