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Reshaping mental health crisis response in Santa Cruz County

Stephen Baxter

June 11, 2021 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santa Cruz, California

The nationwide 988 call system for suicide prevention and mental health crises will go live in July 2022, with federal funding available for certain local crisis response programs. Santa Cruz and Alameda counties already offer a variety of police and non-police teams that will either benefit from the new system or must adapt to the changes coming. Most of the non-police responses in the area operate only during daytime hours, and in the case of Santa Cruz's Mobile Emergency Response Team are not well known by the public. When police are the default responders, people may not get the care they need.

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How Alameda County addresses mental-health crisis response

Stephen Baxter

May 20, 2021 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Alameda and Santa Cruz counties have fielded their own mobile teams to respond to mental health crises as alternatives to police-only responses. Aimed at reducing conflicts with police, overuse of hospitals and jails, and involuntarily commitments for short-term emergency mental health care, the services' limited hours and resources mean that the police still handle the majority of such calls. Alameda's pilot, begun in July 2020, is able to provide help to about one-third of the four dozen monthly calls it gets. Santa Cruz's volume is higher. Impacts on involuntary commitments unclear.

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Prescribed burns and wildfire in Santa Cruz County

Stephen Baxter

December 21, 2020 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santa Cruz, California

The number of prescribed burn associations in California is on the rise, advocating for more controlled fires that could prevent larger wildfires. There are at least 13 in the Golden State with the latest being the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association. Their mission is to help private landowners through the complex process of organizing a prescribed burn and to educate them about the effectiveness and limitations of the technique. So far, they’ve had 125 who are interested in getting involved and they received a grant of more than $300,000 from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

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Reducing harm in Santa Cruz County law enforcement

Stephen Baxter

July 15, 2020 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santa Cruz, California

The city of Santa Cruz is considering adopting a crisis-intervention strategy used in Eugene, Oregon, after two fatal police shootings of people suffering a mental health crises prompted questions about how an alternative to police-only responses would work. To follow the model pioneered by Eugene's CAHOOTS agency, where unarmed professionals respond first, Santa Cruz authorities would have many safety, budget, training, and other logistical concerns to address. But Santa Cruz seems primed to try the CAHOOTS approach, which rarely requires police involvement when 911 calls are screened properly.

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Global lessons for Santa Cruz in the COVID-19 response

Kara Meyberg Guzman Stephen Baxter

March 26, 2020 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santa Cruz, California

Cities and states throughout the U.S. are in forms of lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, including Santa Cruz County in California. Although this practice is one way to mitigate the spread, institutions in Santa Cruz are looking to other countries that have have seen success with a "test-trace-quarantine model."

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