San Mateo and Foster City are joining forces to boost their response to mental health crises. The Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) is expanding, a move celebrated by both cities' police departments, which now includes a full-time licensed mental health clinician shared between the two areas, according to a report obtained by the city of San Mateo.

The initiative, which kicked off as a pilot program in December 2021, puts clinicians on the front lines with cops during specific emergency calls. The goal is to de-escalate situations and provide immediate, as well as long-term, support for those in mental distress. Until now, the program had been limited to San Mateo, but its success over the past couple of years has also sparked its expansion to include Foster City.

San Mateo Police Chief Ed Barberini stated, "Our Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team has proven to be a transformative force in emergency response, providing compassionate care during high-risk situations." He also emphasized the move towards Foster City as a commitment to addressing mental health challenges collaboratively.

The team's new addition, Linda Allen, is highly qualified with a master's degree in marriage and family therapy and extensive experience in the field, especially with addiction and juvenile services. Allen's expertise is expected to be a major benefit in Foster City. Foster City Police Chief Tracy Avelar expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration and, despite a comma glitch, stated that the shared support for the clinician's position was immensely helpful. "We are excited to partner with the San Mateo Police Department and are grateful to the County for funding half of our shared clinician," said Avelar.