The Westminster Police Department and Be Well OC, a nonprofit with the goal of developing a first-class behavioral health system for Orange County, have entered into a partnership.
Instead of police officers responding to a mental health or substance abuse crisis call, in many instances, the Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Team skilled in de-escalation, crisis intervention, counseling and mediation will respond.
The mobile response team can assist with suicidal ideation, non-domestic violence family issues and disputes, welfare checks, intoxication and other basic needs like food, shelter, water and clothing. However, if there is a risk of self-harm or a public safety issue — for example, if in a domestic violence situation, someone is armed — then the Be Well team will respond with the police.
If needed, the team can transport the caller for additional help. Depending on the crisis, the Be Well team can take the person to the Be Well OC Orange Campus, a local hospital, urgent care or shelter.
“Our goal is to integrate seamlessly with local law enforcement and first responders who can deploy us to mental health and wellness calls while better prioritizing their staff to address community safety needs,” said Marshall Moncrief, CEO of Be Well OC. “This is a win for residents and local agencies across the board.”
The program, a two-year pilot, was launched on June 26. The cost per year is approximately $1 million, said Heather Stratman, a senior administrative executive with Be Well OC, with funding mostly coming from Westminster’s leftover federal pandemic relief money. Be Well OC also notes that funding will come from a local family foundation.
The cost, Stratman said, includes a mobile van plus staff time seven days a week.
Nationally, there is an upward trend of mental health experts responding to crisis calls that were typically taken by the police before. Be Well’s mobile response team first launched in 2021 in Huntington Beach and now works with Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Garden Grove, Anaheim and Irvine, too. Westminster is the seventh city in Orange County to partner with Be Well.
The program was created, Stratman said, because “law enforcement over the last two decades has really been the first responder when someone is facing a mental health crisis or substance abuse crisis, whether that’s in their home or on the street or within the community, and that’s not necessarily what they’re trained in the community to do and it had really overrun public safety.”
And the creation of the mobile response team has helped “alleviate” law enforcement from these calls, Stratman said.
Be Well OC has tracked the success of its mobile response team in these cities and found that 88% of calls did not require transport for additional care, and 81% of calls did not require a co-response from law enforcement. On average, the police in these cities found that by partnering with the Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Team, they save an average of 10 to 12 hours a day, according to a Be Well OC press release.
“The Westminster Police Department is looking forward to this new partnership with OC Be Well and is excited to offer this additional service to community members housed (and) unhoused,” said Westminster Police Chief Darin Lenyi.
At the end of the two-year pilot period, cities can make the decision to continue with the mobile response team, Stratman said. Huntington Beach recently voted to renew the program.
The Be Well OC Mobile Program in Westminster will operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Residents can contact Westminster Police Department’s non-emergency line at 714-898-3315 and dispatchers will determine whether to send law enforcement, the Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Team or both.
