HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Elsa Mendoza Jimenez
Director of Health Services
County of Monterey
1270 Natividad Road
Salinas, CA 93906
O: 831 755 4500
F: 831 755 4797
CountyofMonterey.Gov
M E M O R A N D U M
Date: May 11, 2026
To: Lisa Murphy, Assistant City Manager
From: Kelley Molton, LCSW, Deputy Director
Chyrl Williams, LCSW, Program Services Manager II
CC: Melanie Rhodes, LMFT, LPCC, Behavioral Health Bureau Chief / Director
RE: City of Salinas / Mobile Crisis Services Program
Monterey County Health Department Behavioral Health Bureau (MCBH) is providing a summary and data overview regarding the Mobile Crisis Project for the City of Salinas. Funding allocated by the City of Salinas provides for a two-person mobile crisis team 40 hours per week specifically to provide mobile crisis response in the City to augment the mobile crisis services provided regionally and countywide. The additional team funded by this project is operational Monday – Friday from 0800 to 1700 hours and was activated on January 1, 2024. On June 17, 2025, the City Council voted to continue this partnership with the County based on the success of the pilot program and moved f orward with approval for the City to enter into a MOU for fiscal year 2025-2026 for a maximum investment of $390,000.
This MOU has expanded the availability of mobile crisis response in the City and includes response to calls for service requested by both Salinas Police Department (SPD) and Salinas Fire Department (SFD). Both agencies can request mobile crisis support through the Emergency Communication Department (ECD) regardless of the time of day or day of the week, as ECD has been trained on how request these services. Both SPD and SFD can also make non -urgent referrals to mobile crisis via email to MCBH who coordinates the follow-up.
Monterey County Behavioral Health (MCBH), Sierra Mental Wellness Group (SMWG), and Seneca Family of Agencies collectively comprise the mobile crisis response teams in Monterey County and employ a range of personnel including licensed / license eligible clinicians, mental health rehabilitation specialists, and peers with lived experience who respond in two-person teams to crisis calls in the community. Their professional job titles are as follows: Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, Psychiatric Social Worker I/II, Social Worker III, Crisis Specialist, Peer Support Specialist, Clinician, Clinical Intern, Family Partner, and Support Counselor.
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Each agency has licensed mental health professionals on -call 24/7 for consultation. Additionally, each agency has managers, supervisors, and directors that will respond to calls with their staff for training purposes, to support staffing levels, and when teams are managing complex situations.
The data provided below reflects the utilization of Mobile Crisis Services thus far in FY 25-26.
Chart 1
From July 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026, Monterey County Behavioral Health (MCBH) and our contract provider partners, Sierra Mental Wellness Group (SMWG), and Seneca Family of Agencies (Seneca) received a total of 1179 mobile crisis requests for service in the City of Salinas.
Mobile Crisis responses / encounters are primarily done in person. Although the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) and MCBH allow for the use of telehealth services in response to crisis encounters; due to safety and overall quality of care for the individuals / families in crisis and the community, in -person response is preferred and encouraged. Telephone calls are used frequently as a means of engaging individuals prior to a mobile crisis contact or home visit, to collect additional information from the individual in crisis and/or the reporting party, and to provide follow- up support.
MCBH, 429, 36%
SMWG, 492, 42%
Seneca, 258, 22%
Total Mobile Crisis Calls within the City of Salinas
7.1.25-3.31.26
MCBH SMWG Seneca
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Chart 2
In the City of Salinas from July 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026 , thirty eight percent (38%) of crisis calls were initiated by SPD, less than 1% (o.7%) from SFD, and sixty-one percent (61%) of calls were initiated by another non-emergency source. These percentages have remained consistent over the last three reporting periods.
Demographic data shows that more than half (52%) of mobile crisis contacts in the City were with individuals who identified as male, while 59% of all contacts were with individuals who identified as Hispanic. (see charts 3 and 4 below).
Chart 3 Chart 4
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Chart 5
Data shows that by age group served, the most mobile crisis responses in the City were to support those 26- 64 years of age (46%), followed by children and youth 0-15 years of age (25%), then transitional aged youth / young adults aged 16-25 (19%), and 8% of the calls were to support older adults.
Mobile Crisis Services and follow-up support occurs in a variety of settings. Additional locations include but are not limited to outpatient clinics (for behavioral health or primary care), public places in the community, foster care homes, supported housing programs, an individual’s apartment or home, or other locations that enable the individual to accept help in a crisis.
Mobile Crisis response times in the city vary depending on a variety of factors such as call volume, time of day, traffic, and staffing. During this period, response times for mobile crisis indicate: 15% were under 15 minutes; 36% between 15-30 minutes; and 23% of calls were between 30-60 minutes.
Chart 6
Data indicates that in fifty percent (50%) of mobile crisis responses the situations are stabilized with support, or result in a warm hand off to services, only 14% result in an involuntary hold ( WIC 5150/5585), and less than 1% (0.01%) resulted in an arrest.
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Chart 7
Data shows that the majority of mobile crisis calls support those in the 93905 and 93906 area with a combined total of 67%. Thirty -seven percent (37%) for the zip code 93906, followed closely by 93905 at thirty percent (30%). Calls in 93907 reflect calls where either Salinas Police or Salinas Fire were requesting support.
Countywide from July 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026, a total of 5,944 crisis calls were received by the crisis lines serving Monterey County, resulting in a total of 1,262 mobile crisis dispatches. The majority, fourteen percent (14%) of calls to the crisis lines serving our community are stabilized over the phone, with sixty-six percent (66%) requiring a mobile crisis response. Fifty-two (52%) percent of the mobile crisis calls for service were for a response in the City of Salinas.
MCBH appreciates the ongoing collaboration with the City of Salinas in service to our community and we look forward to the continued partnership.
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