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Palo Alto vice mayor updates HRC on youth mental‑health investments, rail‑crossing safety
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Summary
Vice Mayor Stone briefed the Human Relations Commission on a multi-pronged youth mental‑health effort — including a JED Foundation partnership, Mental Health First Aid trainings and a reactivated PERT team — and outlined city moves to staff Caltrain crossings and pursue a temporary Churchill Crossing closure that requires CPUC approval.
Vice Mayor Stone, the city council liaison to the Human Relations Commission, told commissioners the city has prioritized youth mental health after convening a 2024 youth mental‑health and well‑being task force to identify local service gaps.
"We were able to...identify the need for expanded access to mental health services," Stone said, describing steps the council has funded: expanding teen center space, free rides on Palo Alto LINK and preserving a city management analyst position focused on wellness.
Stone said the city contracted to staff all four rail crossings with 24/7 crossing guards on a one‑year contract and is "exploring options to temporarily close the Churchill Crossing." She added that any closure would require final approval from the California Public Utilities Commission and that staff and legal are coordinating with the CPUC on the application process.
The vice mayor highlighted the city’s partnerships and programs: Mental Health First Aid training (offered through Momentum for Health, free to Palo Alto residents 18+ with several dates scheduled), the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) pairing a police officer with a mental‑health clinician, and an engagement with the JED Foundation to produce a needs‑assessment and gap analysis report due in June. "JED...is gonna be able to then ultimately offer the city policy recommendations on how we can then move forward with greater prevention and postvention work," Stone said.
Commissioners raised process questions, and Stone encouraged public engagement at an April 13 council meeting where the temporary Churchill Crossing closure is expected to be discussed. The vice mayor also noted ongoing partnerships with Palo Alto University and local nonprofits to expand training and services.
The commission did not take action on the vice mayor’s update; Stone’s presentation served as an informational briefing ahead of council consideration of related items.
