Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Gabriel Valley COG presents mobile crisis teams, limited housing units for Covina
Summary
The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments described a CARE program that will deploy a two‑person mobile crisis team in Covina, plus recidivism‑reduction referrals and a seven‑unit scattered‑site housing element; staff said the housing component is pending contract finalization.
Representatives from the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) told the Covina City Council about a new CARE (Crisis Assistance, Response and Engagement) program that will provide mobile crisis response, recidivism‑reduction services and limited housing supports to residents across the San Gabriel Valley.
Samuel Peterson (speaker 7), SGVCOG program manager, said the mobile crisis component will deploy a two‑person team — a peer‑support specialist and a clinical supervisor — based locally to respond to mental‑health and substance‑use related calls, provide crisis de‑escalation, clinical assessment, short‑term follow‑up and connections to ongoing services. “All client residents in the city of Covina would be eligible for mobile crisis services,” Peterson said.
Peterson described referral and exclusion criteria: appropriate calls include persons in distress, welfare checks, non‑violent suicidal ideation and follow‑up after incidents where law enforcement is not required; the team would not be dispatched alone to situations involving weapons, active violence, serious medical emergencies or uncooperative subjects.
The RRS (recidivism reduction services) element will be provided by partner agencies (Peterson named God's Pantry in Pomona as a provider in the East Valley) and can include intensive case management, mental‑health supports, substance‑use treatment, legal aid for record expungement, workforce development and family‑reunification services. The housing element is a scattered‑site bridge housing program with seven units across the San Gabriel Valley available to clients enrolled in RRS; Peterson said the housing component is still being finalized and staff hope to bring units online within one to two months.
Giovanni Godoy (speaker 13), program director for the ESGV CARE team, shared a success story of a 46‑year‑old community member contacted at Kayler Russell Park who received transit assistance, immigration‑support linkage and food support via partner agencies and later engaged with employment services. “This is one of the short, most successful stories that we've had,” Godoy said, using the case to illustrate the team's follow‑up work.
Mayor Linares (speaker 2) and councilmembers thanked the presenters; staff said outreach materials (resource cards for PD and dispatch, public information cards) have begun distribution to city staff and first responders.
