San Diego County’s Mobile Crisis Response Teams have addressed the critical gap between standard outpatient therapy and inpatient care, responding to more than 32,000 calls since 2021. These specialized teams have become essential to school mental health infrastructure, with more than 600 school-based responses in the last 18 months, according to Nadia Privara Brahms, director of San Diego County Behavioral Health Services.
However, proposed state budget cuts threaten the program’s future. Under Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal, mobile crisis response would no longer be a mandatory statewide Medi-Cal benefit beginning in 2027. The county estimates the local program costs about $24 million a year and is currently paid for primarily through state and Medi-Cal funding. Without continued state support, county officials say they would have to cut other behavioral health services to maintain the mobile crisis program.
The distinction between a mental health crisis response and law enforcement intervention carries significant weight. Dr. Charmi Patel Rao, a youth psychiatrist and medical director of Vista Hill Foundation, notes that mental health professionals are trained to recognize psychiatric distress, deescalate situations, and connect young people with support. “Even when officers are compassionate and well-intentioned, they don’t have as much training in terms of behavioral health responses, especially in a crisis situation,” she said.
The impact on youth is particularly concerning. Mental health professionals warn that the response young people receive during a crisis can have lasting effects on their willingness to seek help. When responses are perceived as traumatizing or punitive, youth and families may avoid future mental health care. Without specialized crisis teams, schools would likely turn to law enforcement to manage mental health emergencies, a shift that behavioral health leaders say would escalate situations and increase stigma for students in crisis.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/05/22/san-diego-behavioral-health-leaders-warn-state-cuts-will-harm-school-crisis-response