Vital mental health services across the North Bay are in jeopardy as Governor Newsom proposes shifting the cost of mobile crisis teams from the state to individual counties.
Per the Press Democrat, programs like Lake County’s mobile crisis team, which provides 24/7 de-escalation and diverts thousands of calls away from law enforcement, face potential closure if forced to shoulder the million-dollar funding gap.
Officials warn that losing these services could lead to a “recipe for disaster,” leaving inexperienced police officers as the sole responders to complex mental health emergencies. While the administration cites massive state budget shortfalls as the reason for the cuts, advocates argue the move will decimate years of progress in community safety.
Sonoma County officials are also bracing for the impact as they evaluate how the funding shift will affect local response programs like InRESPONSE.
