SAN ANTONIO – Faced with a crisis, San Antonio city officials are working on a solution to support people during a mental health crisis.

“There is a mental health crisis in America,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “We need to demonstrate innovation and expertise to address this. »

Statistics show that one in five adults living in the United States suffers from a mental illness. In San Antonio, that figure averages about 250,000 people.

The city created SA CORE to respond to the crisis. SA CORE is a multidisciplinary team responsible for responding to 911 mental health calls. After seeing some success, city leaders said the initiative will continue and hope for continued growth.

“There is no finish line,” said San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus. “We will continue to evolve as we see better ways to do it and better ways to refine it.”

Currently, the unit responds to about 14 percent of the 911 mental health calls coming into San Antonio each year.

An SA CORE unit is made up of three team members: a police officer from the San Antonio Mental Health Unit, a paramedic from the San Antonio Fire Department, and a crisis response clinician from the Center for Health Care Services .

Over the past two years, this team has responded to more than 5,000 calls. During the same period, SAPD reported the city received more than 60,000 calls.

“We want it to be a tool,” Nirenberg said. “We are doing everything we can and continuing to learn how we can better address this issue.”

Nirenberg said he believes SA CORE is the future of crisis response.

“It is extremely important to break these prejudices,” Nirenberg said. “I think we will have a safer community with SA CORE, not only for people who are going through a crisis, but also for those who have to respond to it.”

Many changes have already occurred over the past two years. SA CORE was launched in 2022 for its pilot year as a single unit covering the city center and central areas.

In 2024, three teams cover the entire city. The teams are all present 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Funding for these programs is a national problem. For the FY 2025 budget, the City of San Antonio has covered the current cost of SA CORE. The city expects this team to respond to approximately 4,000 calls during this time.

However, no budgeted expansion has been planned for this funding cycle.

“We’re going to budget accordingly,” Nirenberg said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean the dollars could go up.”

SA CORE could also get additional dollars from another source.

“Federal funds are available,” said Ernest Stevens, deputy division director of the Council State Governments Justice Center.

In the meantime, city leaders are looking for ways to streamline and help SA CORE’s response. Mental health advocates said the biggest growth could come from innovation.

Stevens discussed the following options:

• Route certain non-urgent mental health-related calls to 988

• Staff mental health clinicians in call centers to help facilitate resources

• Added a Community Response Team to San Antonio to help respond to 911 calls without hiring a police officer

Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison, president and CEO of the Center for Health Care Services, said the city should rely on technological advancements.

“We need to look very closely and see how telehealth could support some of the work that we do on the ground in a dynamic environment,” Jamison said.

Staffing can also be an issue for these units. Although SA CORE is a 24/7 operation, now-retired SAPD Deputy Police Chief Karen Falks said she is focused on increasing the numbers.

KSAT’s interview with Falks took place before retiring on November 1.

“We definitely need more teams,” Falks said. “I hope it happens at some point.”

Falks said the City Council approved SAPD to add more than 300 new officers over the next two years. While those staff will likely be assigned to patrols, Falks said the mental health team is also a priority.

“As we increase the number of patrols, maybe that will allow us to start adding mental health officers,” Falks said.

While SA CORE is the primary unit in the city that responds to 911 mental health calls, both SAPD and CHCS can provide other mental health response services to those in need in the city.

If you or a loved one needs mental health support, Click here.

“Crisis in Question: Measuring Mental Health in South Texas” began airing Monday, November 11 on The Nightbeat with a new episode each night at 10 p.m., culminating on Friday, November 15 at 10 p.m. All episodes can be seen on KSAT. , KSAT+, KSAT YouTube ChannelAnd KSAT.com.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or having suicidal thoughts, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.

You can also contact the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.

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