CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
8/24/2026
1 SUBJECT:
Approve the agreement with the County of San Mateo, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) to expand the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) pilot program in the City of Pacifica and to share the costs of one full-time mental health clinician in Pacifica as part of the CWCRT pilot program.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution Approving (1) a Clinician Services Agreement Between the City of San Bruno, the City of Pacifica, and Janella Juan for CWCRT Clinician Services for a total amount not to exceed $166,400 for the City of Pacifica through June 30, 2028, and (2) an Agreement Between the County of San Mateo BHRS, the City of San Bruno, and the City of Pacifica for the CWCRT Program through June 30, 2028, for a total amount not to exceed $4,000; and authorizing the City Manager to execute the Agreements.
STAFF CONTACT:
Bill Glasgo, Police Captain
(650) 738-7314
[email protected]
BACKGROUND
Behavioral health crisis calls often require expertise and services beyond a traditional law enforcement response. The Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) Program supplements that response by pairing law enforcement personnel with a licensed mental health clinician who can provide crisis assessment, de-escalation and access to treatment and support services.
On January 12, 2020, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved the CWCRT Pilot Program as a partnership between the County and the police departments serving Daly City, South San Francisco, San Mateo and Redwood City. The program launched in December 2021.
Through a contract with the nonprofit StarVista, clinicians were assigned to participating police departments to assist with behavioral health crisis calls.
The program was designed to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing mental health crises, increase access to appropriate behavioral health services and provide clinical consultation and training to law enforcement personnel. It also promotes coordination among police departments, behavioral health providers and community organizations.
On September 25, 2023, the City Council approved a three-year agreement with the County of San Mateo that would have allowed Pacifica to share the cost of a full-time mental health clinician as part of the CWCRT Program. The City’s estimated annual cost was $88,369.
StarVista was responsible for recruiting and assigning a qualified clinician to Pacifica but was unable to fill the position. Several candidates did not meet the minimum qualifications or did not successfully complete the required background process. As a result, Pacifica was unable to begin participating in the program.
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Janella Juan was the established CWCRT clinician serving the City of San Bruno through StarVista. When StarVista ceased operations in 2025, San Bruno retained Ms. Juan as an independent contractor to preserve continuity of clinician services. Pacifica, San Bruno and BHRS subsequently developed a regional shared-services model under which the two Cities would share Ms. Juan’s services. The proposed agreements would establish that arrangement and allow Pacifica to participate in the CWCRT Program through June 30, 2028.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends approval of two related agreements establishing a shared CWCRT Program between Pacifica and San Bruno. The Clinician Services Agreement establishes the professional services relationship with Janella Juan and defines the services she will provide to both Cities. The BHRS Agreement establishes the County’s role in supporting the program and sets additional clinical, documentation and operational requirements. Together, the agreements provide the structure needed to deliver CWCRT services in both communities.
Clinician Services Agreement
Upon execution, the proposed Clinician Services Agreement will establish the contractual framework for the shared clinician services between the Cities of San Bruno and Pacifica and Ms. Juan. (See Attachment A). Under the Clinician Services Agreement, Ms. Juan will provide services as an independent contractor, providing behavioral health crisis response, follow-up services, case management, outreach, and resource coordination for both Cities. For the City of San Bruno, the Clinician Services Agreement will specifically supersede the existing professional services agreement that the City of San Bruno has for Ms. Juan’s services.
It is anticipated that Ms. Juan’s time will be allocated substantially equally between both Cities but the Clinician Services Agreement provides flexibility to deploy the clinician between jurisdictions based on operational needs while maintaining an anticipated shared service schedule.
Each City will compensate the clinician for its respective share of the services, allowing both agencies to maximize clinician availability while sharing program costs. The Clinician Services Agreement provides that San Bruno and Pacifica will each pay up to a maximum of $166,400, (equivalent of up to 2,080 service hours at a rate of $80 per hour) for a total combined amount of $332,800 for the entire term of the Clinician Services Agreement.
Ms. Juan’s responsibilities include behavioral health crisis response, diagnostic and crisis assessment, crisis intervention, de-escalation, involuntary hold evaluations and suicide, homicide and grave-disability risk assessments. She will also provide safety planning, follow-up contacts, short-term case management, care coordination, referrals, resource navigation and field-based stabilization services. Additional responsibilities include community outreach, consultation and education for law enforcement personnel, coordination with treatment providers and community partners and completion of required documentation in BHRS systems.
These services will support opioid remediation through evidence-based or evidence-informed outreach, assessment, care coordination, referral, diversion and deflection for individuals with opioid use disorder or co-occurring substance-use and mental health conditions who are involved in, at risk of becoming involved in or transitioning from the criminal justice system. Ms.
Juan will maintain documentation identifying the services provided, populations served, time charged and outcomes required for opioid settlement expenditure reporting.
The agreement requires Ms. Juan to maintain all required professional licenses, training, Pacifica City Council 3
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certifications and insurance. She must comply with applicable confidentiality, privacy, recordkeeping and data-security requirements. She must also complete the training and certifications required by BHRS, including 5150 certification.
Either City may terminate its participation in the agreement for any reason upon thirty days’ written notice. Ms. Juan may terminate the agreement upon ninety days’ written notice. If one City withdraws, the remaining City and Ms. Juan may continue services by mutual agreement, subject to the BHRS Agreement and any required approvals.
BHRS Agreement
The proposed Agreement between the County BHRS, the City of San Bruno and the City of Pacifica formalizes each parties’ role in supporting the CWCRT Program. BHRS will be responsible for providing clinical consultation, training, equipment, documentation guidance, access to County systems, quality assurance, and other technical support. The Cities’ responsibilities include, but are not limited to, contracting with the clinician and providing administrative oversight of the mental health clinician, including ensuring required professional licensure, annual training, 5150 certification, documentation, and compliance with applicable County CWCRT Program requirements.
Unlike the Clinician Services Agreement, the BHRS Agreement generally may only be terminated for cause, impossibility of performance and the terminating party must provide at least thirty (30) days’ written notice.
The BHRS Agreement specifies that BHRS will provide the clinician with additional tools and equipment necessary to complete the expected work, such as a laptop computer and vehicle (fuel included). The cost of expenses related to the vehicle, including insurance, maintenance, and fuel will be split between the two Cities up to a $4,000 maximum per year per vehicle.
The proposed Clinician Services Agreement and the BHRS Agreement are intended to be executed concurrently. The effectiveness of the Clinician Services Agreement is contingent upon execution of the accompanying BHRS Agreement, ensuring that the contractual, operational, and clinical components of the shared regional program are implemented simultaneously. The term of both of the Agreements shall continue through June 30, 2028, unless earlier terminated.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
Approval of the agreements are not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et. seq.), including without limitation, Public Resources Code section 21065 and California Code of Regulations 15378 as this is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City of Pacifica will be responsible for its share of clinician service costs in an amount not to exceed $166,400 through June 30, 2028. These costs will be funded through the Police Department’s approved operating budget using opioid settlement funds.
The City will also be responsible for up to $2,000 per year in vehicle-related costs under the BHRS Agreement, for a total amount not to exceed $4,000 over the two-year term. Vehiclerelated expenses are not an allowable use of opioid settlement funds and will be paid from the Pacifica City Council 4
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General Fund.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
Council may choose not to approve the agreements and provide staff further direction.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Approval of the agreement is consistent with the Council adopted Goal #5, Strategy B: Increase communications, education, and connections for community mental health resources.
ORIGINATED BY:
Police
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Attachment A: Clinician Services Agreement(DOCX)
Attachment B: Agreement Between the County of San Mateo BHRS, the City of San Bruno, and the City of Pacifica (DOCX)
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RESOLUTION NO. ______
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFICA APPROVING (1) A CLINICIAN SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN
BRUNO, CITY OF PACIFICA, AND JANELLA JUAN FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND
CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM CLINICIAN SERVICES FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $166,400 FOR THE CITY OF PACIFICA, AND (2) AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES, THE
CITY OF SAN BRUNO AND THE CITY OF PACIFICA FOR THE CWCRT PROGRAM THROUGH JUNE 30, 2028 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $4,000; AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE BOTH OF THE AGREEMENTS WHEREAS, the City of Pacifica desires to participate in a shared Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team (CWCRT) program that integrates a licensed mental health clinician into law enforcement operations to support timely and clinically appropriate responses to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises; and
WHEREAS, the CWCRT program has provided real-time behavioral health crisis response, including on-scene assessments, crisis stabilization, referrals, follow-up support, and case management, while allowing police officers to focus on public safety responsibilities; and WHEREAS, the program is supported by San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), which provides clinical oversight, training, equipment, access to County systems, and technical support; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Bruno and the City of Pacifica desire to share the services of a consultant, Janella Juan as a CWCRT mental health clinician; and WHEREAS, the Cities and the County of San Mateo, acting through San Mateo County BHRS, desire to enter into an agreement governing BHRS’ support for the CWCRT Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Pacifica approves a Clinician Services Agreement between the City of San Bruno, the City of Pacifica, and Janella Juan for CWCRT Clinician Services for a total amount not to exceed $166,400 for the City of Pacifica through June 30, 2028.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City Council hereby approves an Agreement Between the County of San Mateo BHRS, the City of San Bruno, and the City of Pacifica for the CWCRT Program through June 30, 2028, for a total amount not to exceed $4,000.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Manager is hereby authorized to execute the foregoing Agreements in the forms attached hereto, with minor revisions that may be approved by the City Attorney, and to execute any other necessary documents to effectuate the terms of the Agreements.
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• • • • •
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Pacifica, California, held on the 24th day of August 2026, by the following vote:
AYES, Councilmembers:
NOES, Councilmembers:
ABSENT, Councilmembers:
ABSTAIN, Councilmembers:
_________________________________
Christine Boles, Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ _________________________________ Sarah Coffey, City Clerk Michelle Kenyon, City Attorney