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Santa Rosa’s InResponse Team Expands to 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Care
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Santa Rosa’s InResponse Team Expands to 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Care

Santa Rosa’s InResponse program, which provides care and support during mental health crises, will expand to a 24/7 schedule starting Dec. 29, providing around-the-clock assistance to people in need throughout Sonoma County.

On a recent afternoon, Sonoma County behavioral health therapist Matthew Taylor glanced at the dispatch system as a new call came in for the InResponse team.

“Is it the teenager?” he asked out loud, recognizing the person from a previous interaction.

“We have to take a very gentle approach,” added rescuer Jake Ortlinghaus as the two men sat in their Sonoma Avenue office.

Moments later, they were in the van – Taylor taking quick bites of his spicy “kickin’ chicken” – on their way to rehearse a scene that plays out eight to 12 times a day: a therapist, a paramedic and an outreach specialist arriving to defuse the situation. a crisis, or a pre-crisis, and offer support.

Starting Sunday, the team will be able to answer those calls 24 hours a day. Santa Rosa’s InResponse program is expected to expand to a 24/7 schedule, a long-awaited step that could transform the ‘access to mental health, homeless and social work services in Sonoma County.

“Most of the time, families or individuals are just trying to defend themselves during the night,” said Wendy Tappon, Sonoma County Behavioral Health Client Care Manager and InResponse team leader. “With a team available 24/7… there is another option.”

“My hope,” she added, “is that we will be used and that people will not suffer alone. »

A different approach to crisis response

Launched in January 2022, InResponse takes a civil, multidisciplinary approach to calls involving mental health crises, substance use and other “gray area” situations – cases where care, not law enforcement , are often the appropriate intervention.

The program emerged amid growing calls for reform following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. Inspired by the CAHOOTS program in Eugene, Oregon, InResponse deploys teams of mental health professionals, paramedics and community specialists with support from agencies such as Buckelew Programs, Catholic Charities, Santa Rosa Fire Department and Behavioral Health Division of Sonoma County.

In 2023, the program responded to 4,759 calls, of which 1,931 were primarily for mental health care. From January to September this year, the team responded to 3,702 calls – 2,018 focused on mental health and 492 focused on homelessness care. There is often overlap in the types of services provided.

The impact of the program on emergency services has been significant. Last year, 3,568 calls were diverted from law enforcement and 1,408 from fire and emergency medical services. Santa Rosa Police Lt. Chris Mahurin described the program as a win-win for stakeholders and the community.

InResponse limits the number of calls police respond to, reduces the risk of use-of-force incidents, while “increasing the number of people getting the service they actually need,” Mahurin said.

A long-awaited 24/7 expansion

The move to 24/7 care fulfills a long-standing goal for InResponse. The new night shift, operating from 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., was delayed mainly due to staff shortages. Program director KT Swan said six new team members were recently hired: three for the first half of the week and three for the second.

Currently, two vans cover day shifts from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from noon to 10 p.m.

The program’s $3.1 million annual cost was covered by a combination of federal and local funds. With American Rescue Plan Act funding set to expire this year, Sonoma County has pledged $1.5 million from Measure O, a tax-funded mental health initiative, to help close the gap, a declared Mahurin. Program officials are also applying for grants, and the Santa Rosa City Council has said it will step in if additional funding is needed.

The work in action

The InResponse team works as a coordinated unit. During a call, therapist Matthew Taylor looks for signs of mental distress and assesses whether a person needs immediate intervention, longer-term support, or both. Paramedic Jake Ortlinghaus focuses on physical health concerns, while outreach specialists like Cavan Nelson of Catholic Charities assess basic needs like food, clothing or shelter.

“It’s kind of like a symbiotic relationship in the sense that it works in partnership with the person,” Nelson said. “It’s not like we’re forcing help on anyone.”

The team adapts its response to each situation. During a recent call, Taylor gently asked, “Is this something you want to talk about, or should we leave this aside?” They checked on the person’s physical health, praised their progress, and made sure they had updated mental health resources.

Sometimes the job involves practical tasks: checking refrigerators for food, providing meals or clothing, remaining present during a difficult phone call, calling an ambulance – all of which Ortlinghaus can do without triggering emergency response. firefighters – or connect individuals to InResponse browsers for ongoing care.

The team works with what Swan calls “a whole spectrum of people,” from those in active crisis to those at risk of worsening. Sometimes a higher level of care is required.

Taylor described 5,150 detentions — when a person is involuntarily placed in a psychiatric facility for their safety — as a last resort and a difficult but necessary part of the job.

“There is a duty to act if there are concerns about the safety of oneself or someone else,” Swan explained. “Sometimes that person doesn’t have the slightest idea what’s happening to them. »

A long-term vision of care

The 24/7 expansion will fill a critical gap: nighttime seizures. Families and individuals who previously waited until the morning to seek help will now have access to care when they need it most.

“Challenges don’t come at a specific time,” Swan said.

After a recent call, Taylor, Ortlinghaus and Nelson reflected on the people they helped. Some only needed one interaction to seek additional care; others took 11.

They are lucky, they said, to see people grow up or just watch over them again.

For the InResponse team, this persistence – and now the ability to respond at any time – could make all the difference.

You can contact staff writer Madison Smalstig at [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.