With the intention of providing a compassionate alternative to police intervention for mental health crises, a new pilot program called the Specialized Care Unit (SCU) in Berkeley, California, started operating yesterday. This innovative unit replaces conventional approaches to mental health crisis response, offering in-person professional support to individuals suffering from mental health or substance use crises, with just a single phone call. According to the official press release from the City of Berkeley, the program is run in collaboration with mental health-focused nonprofit Bonita House.
If you or some you want to help is looking for non-police help for mental health & substance use crises, call Berkeley's Specialized Care Unit at (510) 948-0075.
— City of Berkeley (@CityofBerkeley) September 15, 2023
Serving people of all ages & responding to public & private locations.
Community message: https://t.co/c20thFsw1M
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Those seeking support can now call the SCU themselves or on behalf of someone else to connect with trained staff members who assess the situation before deciding on the appropriate response. This can include dispatching a team consisting of a peer specialist, a mental health clinician, and an emergency medical technician if no immediate medical concerns or lethal weapons are found. These teams offer transport, connections to services, or safety planning, depending on the needs of the individual in crisis, ultimately guiding them toward post-crisis resources in a caring and empathetic manner.
The program has emerged from Berkeley City Council's attempt to re-imagine public safety in the city, with the goal of giving people an option other than directly involving law enforcement through a 911 call. As noted in the City of Berkeley's announcement, the Specialized Care Unit was developed through an extensive community engagement process consisting of diverse stakeholders, including a steering committee formed by the Health, Housing, and Community Services Department.
While Berkeley's Specialized Care Unit marks a promising step, there are limitations. At the moment, the program operates from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week. Considering the unpredictable timing of mental health crises, it's worth questioning the effectiveness of the SCU outside its hours of operation. Furthermore, there is a need for robust community outreach and communication to ensure that those who require the SCU's services are actually aware of the option. The press release acknowledges these limitations and makes note of plans to expand the accessibility and availability of the pilot program in the future.
