October 13, 2020 – The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is excited to announce the creation of our community’s first Mobile Crisis Team. This team will assist those in need of enhanced services through a collaborative effort with Nevada County Behavioral Health.
The Mobile Crisis Team, staffed by one deputy sheriff and one therapist, will be partnered and respond to calls related to mental health, substance abuse, or homelessness to de-escalate critical incidents and ultimately reduce rates of arrest and incarceration. This team will coordinate referrals to services as appropriate, including the Crisis Stabilization Unit at the hospital, HOME Team, and Nevada County Behavioral Health to name a few.
“We are excited to partner with the Sheriff’s Office to pilot a mobile crisis team,” said Behavioral Health Director Phebe Bell. “We believe that the model of a behavioral health clinician partnering with a law enforcement officer will increase our ability to link people quickly to needed mental health services and avoid some crisis situations.”
In addition to being dispatched to calls for service of a critical nature, the Mobile Crisis Team will be both proactive and reactive in providing services to our community. Reactive response to critical incidents and mental health calls will take priority. Between those calls the Mobile Crisis Team will conduct outreach to current behavioral health clients.
“Through years of service in our community, I have identified a gap between the services of local government and those in crisis,” said Sheriff Shannan Moon. “This model has been incredibly successful in places like San Diego with their Psychiatric Emergency Response Team. Our Mobile Crisis Team will be tailored to pair the specific needs of our community with appropriate resources – whether someone is in crisis or through preventative, proactive monitoring.”