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Help is available for people who feel like they’re falling apart. Rawpixel.com Shutterstock
Mental health has become a huge talking point across the nation, especially in recent years as the world has been stressed and isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While efforts have been made to provide more resources and assistance to Americans, states and individual counties tend to be working at a faster pace than the federal government.
One example of this is the work being done in San Benito County. In the summer of 2021, the Hollister Police Department announced a partnership with San Benito County Behavioral Health Department to implement the S.A.F.E. (Support, Awareness, Follow-up and Engagement) Program.
According to Benito Link, the S.A.F.E program will partner a police officer responding to certain types of non-criminal 911 calls with a Management Services Manager. An officer responding to mental health 911 calls generally transports people to the local emergency room to speak with a clinician. Now, when the SAFE team is working, dispatchers will assign calls related to mental health, substance abuse, or homelessness to the officer and a mental health professional. The officer and mental health professional will respond as a team.
While San Benito County is improving mental health access through S.A.F.E., there are also other resources available through the county. Check out the list below to get the help you need, when you need it.
The county of San Benito provides specialty mental health services and substance abuse treatment for people who live in San Benito County, including those who are eligible for Medi-Cal. The department provides counseling services, medication assistance, and other resources. Goals include:
Individuals may receive assistance with obtaining the following services:
Contact Behavioral Health Services at (831) 636-4020;
As of July 2022, people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and are in need of immediate help can call 988, the new three-digit dialing code, to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Advocates pushed for new three-digit number as an alternative to calling 911, which can result in police intervention rather than medical care. The number should be easier to remember for people in crisis. Read more about both 988 and 911 in the story below.
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