Behavioral health reports SMART‑goal progress, expands mobile crisis response to 24/7

Behavioral Health Director Genevieve Valentine told the county board during its Oct. 1 strategic workshop that the department has achieved 96 percent of the SMART goals it was tracking and has expanded mobile crisis response capacity.

Valentine said the department’s vacancy rate had fallen — from a recent high near 28 percent to about 20.1 percent — after a targeted recruitment and training pipeline supported by ARPA and partnerships with HealthForce and HR. "We not only hit our goal, we hit it a whole year ahead," she said.

Mobile crisis teams: Valentine said the county now operates five full mobile crisis teams and a half‑team in Manteca (staffed some days), and that the county has shifted to 24/7 availability by deploying on‑call staff and coordination with law enforcement. She described the mobile crisis response as a Medi‑Cal benefit with an urgent response standard: a two‑hour target for deployments and immediate co‑response with law enforcement when safety concerns exist.

Why it matters: Supervisors emphasized the mobile crisis model as part of the county’s strategy to address unsheltered homelessness, public safety and behavioral crisis response without defaulting to arrest or emergency room diversion. The department also tied progress to state policy changes such as CalAIM and funding opportunities under Prop 1.

What remains: Directors and supervisors urged continued emphasis on workforce recruitment, sustainable funding for rates and programs (including SB525 and other wage pressures), and clearer public messaging about available services and how to access the crisis response. Valentine said several funding sources and partnerships — including Prop 1 allocation planning in coordination with cities — will shape capacity growth.

The board asked the CAO to work with departments to incorporate behavioral‑health goals and capacity indicators into the county’s SMART‑goal tracking system.