MENTAL ILLNESS FINALLY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The problems and perils of expecting law enforcement officers to be society’s point persons for people with mental illness have long been obvious. The Treatment Advocacy Center’s research showed that those with untreated mental illness were 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has long lamented that individuals in a mental health crisis are more likely to have run-ins with police than get medical attention, with many ending up in jail, worsening their crises.

Now programs are building off these concerns. San Diego County is expanding its use of Mobile Crisis Response Teams — which have behavioral health clinicians, case managers and peer support specialists from service providers Exodus Recovery and Telecare — to deal with some of the 35,000-plus mental health calls for service made annually to law enforcement agencies in the county.

In more serious cases, Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams — in which mental health clinicians work in tandem with uniformed officers and deputies — will continue to be used. And law enforcement officers still handle cases in which crimes, violence or threats of violence have occurred.

As a recent analysis in The San Diego Uniontribune detailed, the county’s mobile crisis teams offer promise with their proactive bent. Crisis responders provide the people they help with mental health resources and, importantly, do follow-up visits to gauge whether more care is needed. Given that mental illness is not akin to a broken bone that will heal on its own, such proactive help is crucial.

Launched in January 2021 in the North Coastal region, Mobile Crisis Response Teams are now available countywide, using 16 teams. National City Police Chief Jose Tellez has high praise for the teams, saying they get people the care they need while freeing up officers to deal with serious crimes. But National City and Chula Vista are the only local cities in which people can reach Mobile Crisis Response Teams by calling 911 so far. Elsewhere, teams are available via the county’s 24-hour Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. The intent is to have 911 access countywide. That can’t happen soon enough.

This overdue recognition that old practices don’t cut it has reached the state level as well. On Thursday at a news conference in San Jose, with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria at his side, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the establishment of Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Courts for people with debilitating psychosis. Instead of being subject to conservatorships, hospitalization or incarceration, these people would receive court-ordered treatment and housing provided by counties, which would be required to participate. Family members, clinicians, first responders and members of the community could refer people to CARE Court for possible treatment. “The aim,” Newsom said, “is to reach people at an earlier stage before they deteriorate over repeated crises.”

The proposal received broad praise from mental health advocates. But until the enabling legislation is crafted and vetted, advocates’ hopes shouldn’t get too high. County officials were quick to object to new state mandates. Legal obstacles are also certain. Civil rights and disability rights’ activists are leery of expanding the circumstances under which people can be forced into care. Questions remain, but Newsom deserves praise for trying to help those with debilitating psychosis and their families — and the communities which deal with large numbers of homeless people with serious mental illness.

An estimated 53 million U.S. adults live with some sort of mental illness, most of them untreated. This problem must be humanely, forthrightly addressed.