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Monterey County briefing highlights local mental health resources and crisis lines
Summary
Monterey County Health Department presenters outlined local behavioral health services, crisis lines and access pathways during a May 13 Mental Health Awareness Month briefing, emphasizing language access and early help. County staff listed contact numbers and community partners and said roughly 13,000 people receive county services (source not specified).
Monterey County health officials used a May 13 news briefing marking Mental Health Awareness Month to lay out local behavioral health resources, explain how residents can get help, and urge early intervention.
County presenters Kelly Molton and Dr. Liz Perez Cordderero described how services are structured locally: the California Department of Public Health now oversees prevention and education after Proposition One, managed-care plans (named in the briefing as Central California Alliance for Health) handle mild-to-moderate treatment, and Monterey County Behavioral Health serves people with more severe, long-term needs. Presenters emphasized services are available regardless of immigration status and noted significant language access, with offerings in English, Spanish and some indigenous languages.
Officials described how to get care: county behavioral health maintains an access line (as read in the briefing: 1888-2586029) and operates clinics and referral pathways. For people with commercial insurance, staff advised calling the member services number printed on insurance cards and requesting a local provider list. The briefing also listed crisis resources and hotlines, including local community mobile-crisis options, the county's 24/7 crisis support, 988, and a psychiatric team at Natividad; presenters named Rainbow Connections for LGBTQ+ support and NAMI Monterey County as volunteer-run partners that offer groups and peer support (NAMI phone/email as read: 831-422-6264 / info@namiore.org).
Speakers framed the expansion of services as driven by destigmatization, public-health approaches emphasizing prevention, and recent state rules increasing supports for youth in schools. "The sooner we get someone mental health help, the better off they are," one presenter said, urging the community to treat mental-health checkups like other routine health care.
A figure cited during the briefing said about 13,000 people receive services from the county behavioral health department; the briefing did not specify the source document for that total. Presenters encouraged residents who need help or who want to find providers to use the access line or to ask insurers for local provider lists.
The briefing included bilingual slides and a Spanish-language presentation by Dr. Perez. Organizers displayed QR codes and slide instructions for obtaining resource lists and emphasized culturally and linguistically accessible options for Monterey County residents. The briefing closed with an offer to answer questions via the county contact channels listed in the presentation.
Next procedural steps mentioned in the briefing included public comment opportunities on county planning documents and upcoming commission and board meetings where behavioral health items will be considered.
