Yolo County, in partnership with local jurisdictions, law enforcement and healthcare systems have worked collaboratively over the last several years towards achieving a Crisis Now system in Yolo County to address the behavioral health crisis continuum of care. The Crisis Now model has three (3) main components (someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go) which are detailed below. The Crisis Now model is intended to create a countywide crisis system that works for all involved and serves anyone in need, and therefore this project focuses on Medi-Cal, Medicare, Private insurance, and the Uninsured population.
Crisis Now Components:
- 24/7 Crisis and Access line: receiving all Crisis and Access calls in Yolo County regardless of insurance type, providing crisis linkage/dispatch, and brief screening and transfer to appropriate services.
- Mobile Crisis Teams: clinician and peer teams in place to dispatch throughout Yolo for mobile response.
- Crisis Receiving Center(s): includes two levels of care - the first is a 24/7 drop-off or walk-in behavioral health receiving center that would serve anyone in need of crisis support whether it is substance use or mental health related. The receiving “chairs” can serve clients for up to 23 hours for evaluation, support, and stabilization. The second level of care would be short-term acute beds where clients would remain for an average of four (4) days and these beds would be available to support those not stabilizing in the first 23 hours and needing to be transitioned for more support.
This critical project has experienced several challenges during the development phase. The HHSA Crisis Now team will provide the Board of Supervisors and subsequently the Local Mental Health Board and other stakeholders an update that will unveil a reimagined approach to implementing the essential components of the Crisis Now model - someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go. This will involve a shift to a phased approach to the full Crisis Now implementation. Additionally, HHSA is working with RI International, the developers of the Crisis Now model, for technical assistance during this process. This phased approach is expected to offer additional opportunities for collaboration and may provide funding stability should the planned 3-year pilot prove valuable to the community.
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