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Unidentified team members stand next to a van in the county's fleet for Mobile Crisis Response. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside University Health System
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Riverside County has expanded its mental health crisis responders’ fleet and hours to around-the-clock service, officials announced Tuesday.
County residents now can expect service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Response team.
The expansion included five new vans, which augment RUHS-BH’s “substantial” mobile crisis fleet, that are based throughout the county to provide community members privacy and the courtesy of discretion on the scene of a behavioral or mental health crisis, officials said.
“A behavioral health crisis can happen at any time, so it’s important that our residents have access to the support they need when they need it. We serve everyone, anywhere, any time,” said Dr. Matthew Chang, director of Behavioral Health at RUHS, said in a statement.
Mobile Crisis Response Teams consist of therapists, behavioral health case managers, substance abuse counselors and peer support specialists who are trained to handle suicidal thoughts, substance use and misuse emergencies and other behavioral health incidents.
“Intervention is crucial for de-escalating a behavioral health crisis, saving lives, and avoiding unnecessary emergency department care, psychiatric hospitalization, and law enforcement involvement,” according to a county statement.
In fiscal year 2021-2022, response teams shifted 70% of people experiencing a crisis from law enforcement and inpatient hospital admissions, according to the county. Officials said that demonstrates “the effectiveness of a compassionate approach in handling crises without the need for further law enforcement involvement.”
RUHS-BH has collaborated with Sycamores, an organization that specializes in behavioral health outreach and crisis support, to expand its Mobile Crisis Response to consistently ensure overnight coverage year-round. Sycamores is based in Los Angeles and has an office in Palm Springs at 490 S. Farrell Drive.
“We welcome the opportunity to support Riverside County,” Sycamores President and CEO Debra Manners said in a statement. “We’ve experienced firsthand the significant impact these teams can have during a behavioral health crisis, and we are eager to extend our services to the residents of Riverside County.”
RUHS-BH also provides mental health urgent cares, Take My Hand Live Peer Chat, Peer Support & Resource Centers, Transitional Age Youth Centers and many county-run youth and adult wellness clinics, officials said.
Mental health urgent care facilities are located in Riverside, 9980 County Farm Road, Building 2, 951-509-2499; Perris, 85 Ramona Expressway, Suites 1-3, 951-349-4195; and Palm Springs, 2500 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite A4, 760-424-5602.
The public can access Mobile Crisis Response and other behavioral health services by calling 951-686-HELP. More information is available at RUHealth.org.
