Title
Staff Discussion on the Community Assessment Treatment and Transport Team (CATT)
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
History
The Recreation and Human Services Department (RHS) contracted with the Urban Strategies Council (USC) to conduct a Human Services Gap Analysis to determine the social services needs of the San Leandro community. USC issued the report on April 2017. One of the key findings of the report is the need for services for severe mental health cases. Data from Alameda County shows that San Leandro experiences the third highest 5150 transports (involuntary psychiatric holds) and third highest repeat holds in Alameda County. Alameda County has the highest number of 5150 transports in the State of California.
The City of San Leandro has made significant structural improvements to the mental health landscape in San Leandro. Historically, the San Leandro Police Department was the only entity in San Leandro with the ability to place a 5150 hold outside of Kaiser Hospital. San Leandro Hospital (SLH) was not a designated 5150 facility. The City of San Leandro worked with SLH, Alameda Health System, and Alameda County to achieve the 5150 designation two years ago. Additionally, as a result of the Human Services Gap Analysis, the City focused its Community Assistance Programs (CAP) funding on the key findings of the report including mental health.
For the past few years RHS and SLPD worked together to advocate for the implementation of a Community Assessment and Transport Team (CATT). The CATT will be an innovative pilot program created by Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, Alameda Care Connect (Whole Person Care), the Alameda County EMS Agency, Bonita House, and Alameda County’s 911 ambulance provider, Falck, in order to better serve those coping with behavioral health and substance abuse issues through on scene assessment and triaging of resource needs rather than the traditional transport of every client to either an emergency room or the John George Medical Facility. CATT will be a mobile unit, working out of a Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle (modified for CATT crew and client safety), staffed with an EMT (Falck employee), and a Licensed Behavioral Health Clinician. The ultimate goal is to have a total of 12 teams staffed 7 days a week. Coverage will begin in San Leandro, Hayward, Oakland, and Fremont; the hours of coverage will be from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. The CATT will work collaboratively with the cities in which they are deployed.
Although the County is the entity that provides severe mental health services to the community, given the need in San Leandro the City has:
• Testified at Board of Supervisors meetings to advocate for CATT funding;
• Testified to the California Assembly regarding the California State Mental Health Services Act to fund the CATT (Chief Tudor, Captain Torres and RHS Director Dong were the only City representatives present)
• Conducted numerous leadership meetings with Alameda County to offer office space, equipment and supplies to the County;
• Collaborated on the planning for the training of SLPD and CATT;
• Attended numerous meetings to prepare for CATT implementation, and
• Held an all-day retreat with a philanthropic foundation, Alameda County Leadership, City leadership and elected officials to discuss the importance of CATT.
Implementation
CATT will be implemented in San Leandro first before the rest of the County. Implementation is delayed due to various reasons, the most recent being the COVID-19 outbreak, which created a delay in hiring, vehicle conversions, and training. The vehicles were also delayed due to a strike at GMC in 2019. As soon as the vehicle conversions are complete, a soft launch with 2-3 teams will be scheduled. San Leandro is recognized as one of the cities that will receive a team during the soft launch by the end of the third quarter.
PREPARED BY: Jeanette Dong, Director, Recreation and Human Services Department