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Two years in, the Support, Awareness, Follow-up and Engagement (SAFE) program headed by Behavioral Health Management Services Manager Nancy Abellera and Hollister Police Department Officer Staci Esqueda have had success in reducing mental health crisis incidents throughout the county. In October, Abellera and Esqueda’s team added four staff members from the San Benito County Behavioral Health Department.
The SAFE program was launched in the county in 2021 as a collaboration between the San Benito County Behavioral Health Department and Hollister Police Department to respond to crises involving mental health and substance abuse in the county.
Abellera and Esqueda told BenitoLink about their work over the last two years. Among the program’s achievements, they were proud of their ability as a team to reduce the number of individuals in crisis placed on a 5150 hold by HPD.
A 5150 hold is when an individual who is experiencing a mental health crisis or disorder is placed on an involuntary 72 hour hold in a psychiatric ward if a designated professional believes they become a danger to themselves, others, or are gravely disabled.
During a 5150 hold in San Benito County, HPD officers take individuals to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, where they are evaluated by a county Behavioral Health clinician. If after evaluation they still need to remain on hold, they are placed at a psychiatric facility.
The closest psychiatric wards near San Benito County include Bright Future Recovery for Teens and Adolescents in Hollister. The nearest facilities for adults are in Gilroy, Santa Cruz, Salinas and San Jose.
In 2020, before the launch of the SAFE program, 133 individuals were placed on 5150 holds by HPD, according to SAFE team data. In 2021, when the team was launched, there were 113 recorded holds. The number in 2022 fell to 111, and as of September there have been 83 recorded holds in 2023. In the last three years they have assisted in 137 cases where the person in need was not placed in a 5150 hold.
Abellera and Esqueda receive referrals for clients through the Behavioral Health crisis line, nonemergency calls from the police department and 911 calls. Abellera said she will often stay on the line with a caller to assess the situation from as many angles as possible, so that when the SAFE team arrives on scene they can de-escalate and help as much as possible.
“We go out to the house, we introduce ourselves, we let them know that we’re here because there was a call for concern and nobody’s in trouble,” said Abellera. “And we’re here to assist. And then we usually listen to what either that individual has to say or very often there will be a family member there explaining it.”
Esqueda also added that oftentimes it’s important to also address family members during an intervention.
“You’ve got parents who feel like they’re inadequate or they’re not capable of managing it anymore. And they’re getting pulled from work or they’re getting pulled from other things or even time with the other children.”
Esqueda said such situations take a toll on parents, as they may also be experiencing mental distress.
Abellera and Esqueda help assess the situation and the individual, and suggest steps to help resolve the current crisis. They then create a follow up plan for the client. Most of the time, the goal is to help ease people out of crisis and avoid 5150 holds, especially for minors.
Esqueda added that many of the county’s youth have been deeply impacted by COVID, especially in regard to their mental health. Placing them on a 5150 hold can have a negative effect.
“When you place them on a psychiatric hold at a hospital in a very sterile environment without family there’s a lot of uncertainty around it,” she said.
In follow-up efforts, clients are referred to services provided by the Behavioral Health Department in San Benito County. Services include mental health screenings, psychiatric counseling, case management, substance abuse disorder services and more, depending on the client’s needs.
The SAFE team follows up with clients within 48 hours, and aims to respond within 24 hours of the incidents. Depending on the appointment, clients can be seen within a week.
“Because SAFE’s goal is to help resolve crises and connect clients to care, we try to have clients seen in the same week as the intervention,” Abellera said. “In other cases in which clients have their own providers, we assist clients in contacting the providers to secure timely appointments.”
When working to start the program in San Benito County, Esqueda took inspiration from San Diego County’s Mobile Crisis Response Team, and Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets program in Eugene, Oregon.
Following the public outcry over the murder of George Floyd by three Minneapolis police officers in 2020, numerous California cities and counties created crisis intervention programs as part of their police reform initiatives. Such programs have emerged in Modesto, San Mateo County, Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Sacramento County and more.
Being a team of just two makes it a challenge to keep up with the demand for services in San Benito County, and especially to provide what Abellera deems most important for the program: the follow-up.
“We have four new team members coming in. They’re so excited to be out there and it’s just going to be able to just exponentially increase our capacity,” Abellera said. “With the expanded team we are going to be able to have enough people that can have a rotation.”
She said that rotation will consist of two staff members responding weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Currently this is a co-response model, so down the road we might be looking at more hours,” Abellera said. As the team and program continue to grow, they hope to eventually offer a 24/7 SAFE team hotline.
Abellera said people can still reach out to police or the behavioral health 24/7 hotlines.
If you or a loved one is suffering from a mental illness or substance abuse disorder, here are some resources you can contact for assistance:
- San Benito County Behavioral Health Department; Call (831)636-4020
- San Benito County Behavioral Health Department 24/7 Line ; (888)-636-4020
- National Sucide and Crisis Lifeline; 988
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 Hotline; 1-800-662-4357
- National Alliance on Mental Health
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