February 3, 2025
The Honorable Matt Mahan
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113
[email protected]
Submitted via electronic mail
Re: Item 3.3, File #25-085 - Options for Expanding Alternative Response and Co-Response Programs to 911 Calls for Service - SUPPORT
Dear Mayor Mahan and Councilmembers,
On behalf of HealthRIGHT 360, I write in strong support of expanding alternative response options to ensure that every crisis in San José is met with the appropriate expertise, care, and compassion. We join the growing call for a public safety approach that prioritizes behavioral health professionals, social workers, and peer-led crisis teams over armed law enforcement in nonviolent situations.
HealthRIGHT 360 is a nonprofit provider of substance use disorder treatment, mental health services, and primary care to over 45,000 Californians annually. We provide compassionate, non-judgmental, and evidence-based care, regardless of one’s ability to pay, guided by our belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. We bring a unique perspective on crisis intervention, drawn from our extensive engagement with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.
We commend the Council and staff for exploring alternative response models and recognizing the need for non-police interventions in behavioral health and homelessness-related crises; however, we urge the Council to take decisive action and fully commit to alternatives that prioritize care over criminalization.
Research consistently shows that police-led responses to behavioral health crises often escalate situations, leading to unnecessary arrests and tragic outcomes. National best practices emphasize the effectiveness of alternative models that pair crisis intervention with community-based care. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has explicitly stated that co-response models — combining law enforcement with clinicians — are not as effective as standalone crisis response teams composed of behavioral health professionals and peer specialists.1
San José must prioritize models that ensure appropriate, de-escalating, and harm-reducing responses for those experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises, and disabilities. This is particularly critical as individuals with disabilities face heightened risks when law enforcement is the default response.
To build a future centered on care, we urge the City Council to:
● Direct staff to research and present alternative response models, integrating them into the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2025). National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance. https://library.samhsa.gov/product/national-behavioral-health-crisis-care-guidance/pep24-01-037
986 Mission Street San Francisco California 94103 (415) 762-3700 www.healthRIGHT360.org ● Hold a study session during budget season to examine the 911 and 988 dispatch systems, identify barriers to expanding 988 eligibility, and explore the benefits of alternative models; ● Develop a plan to utilize Opioid Settlement Funds to sustain and expand community-based crisis response services;
● Invest in community education to raise awareness about 988 and TRUST, reducing reliance on 911 for nonviolent crises;
● Ensure that hiring practices for alternative response teams reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of San José’s communities;
● Provide resources to community-based organizations to deliver culturally competent services to unhoused and underserved populations;
● Prioritize mobile crisis teams trained in de-escalation for people with cognitive, psychiatric, and sensory disabilities; and,
● Avoid expanding co-response models that fail to meet the needs of disabled and marginalized populations;
San José has an opportunity to lead in reimagining public safety by centering community-driven, health-first crisis response models. Investing in alternative response programs will provide care rather than criminalization, strengthen trust with historically harmed communities, reduce violent outcomes, advance equity, and save public resources by diverting nonviolent calls away from law enforcement.
We appreciate your commitment to this critical issue and urge you to support policies that prioritize care, dignity, and public health over punitive approaches. For questions regarding our position, please contact me at
Sincerely,
Wesley Saver | Director of Policy & Public Affairs
Policy & Public Affairs Department
986 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-2543
Cc: Office of the City Clerk via [email protected]