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– COMMUNICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR –
DATE: January 31, 2025
TO: ACBHD Team Members, Stakeholders, & Community Partners
FROM: Karyn L. Tribble, PsyD, LCSW | BHD Director
SUBJECT: Alameda County Behavioral Health Department (ACBHD)
Mobile Crisis Assessment – Report Release
Greetings Alameda County Behavioral Health System Partners:
As many are aware, our Department is committed to strengthening our County’s overall behavioral health system
through a variety of innovative programs, quality improvement projects, and service expansions. To that end, out of
a spirit of transparency, we are pleased to provide you with this important update regarding the County’s Mobile
Crisis Assessment.
Context and Background: In late 2023, the County, Disability Rights California (DRC), and the United States
Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into a settlement agreement regarding the provision of community-based
behavioral health services in the County. The settlement strengthens and expands services available to people with
serious mental health disabilities with the goal of preventing unnecessary psychiatric institutionalization and
incarceration. One of the provisions of this mutual agreement is an assessment of needs and gaps in mobile crisis
coverage designed to determine the amount and number of mobile crisis teams needed. ACBHD retained the Indigo
Project (Indigo) to conduct the Mobile Crisis Assessment pursuant to the settlement agreement.
Methods: Indigo’s analytical approach included countywide crisis quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative
data included data on the utilization of mobile crisis services, crisis receiving center services, and hospital
emergency department services for mental-health related crises, as well as data showing use of crisis hotlines
operated by the County and its contractors, and the 988 suicide prevention line, which is an alternative to 911. This
data was taken from the June 2023 to July 2024 fiscal year and earlier time periods. Qualitative data sources
included interviews with staff and leadership of County operated mobile crisis teams and other teams operated by
various cities and law enforcement agencies across the County. This approach also included discussions with
many subject-matter expert stakeholder groups such as local crisis service providers, first responders, and people
with lived experience of using mental health crisis and mobile crisis services. Indigo’s report describes the current
state of mobile crisis coverage, estimates the needed number of mobile crisis teams, and assesses for gaps in
mobile crisis coverage.
Results: Indigo determined that, taking into account recent and planned expansions, the County’s mobile crisis
teams will be sufficient to meet the County’s mobile crisis needs. In particular, Indigo concluded that there was a
need for an additional 2.5 to 5 mobile crisis teams, and three of these additional teams are already operational as
part of recent expansions. Last year, ACBHD added two overnight Community Assessment and Transport Teams
(CATT)1 and an East County Mobile Crisis Team (MCT). ACBHD also plans to add one additional mobile crisis team
in 2025.
1 The second overnight team began operations in November 2024, after Indigo completed its collection of data and
information.
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Conclusion: Based upon this Mobile Crisis Assessment, ACBHD’s recent expansion of mobile crisis programming
meets the need for mobile crisis support in the County through its MCT, Mobile Evaluation Team (MET), and CATT
units, including two overnight CATT units. ACBHD is continuing to implement services to best serve County
residents, including implementing “988” dispatch of CATT in 2024. In addition, the County plans to implement one
additional CATT unit in 2025.
We are grateful to be in a position to release this information to you at this time. We extend our utmost appreciation
to the Indigo Project. Please review this comprehensive report, its findings, and learn more about current operations
and areas for ongoing investment.