photo credit: Shutterstock

Santa Rosa's police department is looking to expand its mental health support team. During a time where federal funding cuts are cutting into Sonoma County safety net programs, the department says supporting mental health resources is as important now as ever. 

The team is called inRESPONSE. It responds to 911 calls and on its own hotline, both in-person and over the phone.

The state grant money the Santa Rosa Police Department is asking the city council to approve would allow for six new employee hires and it would keep the crisis response van running every day.

Santa Rosa Lieutenant Christopher Mahurin is the main point of contact between the police department and city government for the inRESPONSE program.

He says the team has responded to over 6,000 calls this year, and that number is only expected to increase, in part due to federal funding cuts affecting safety net programs like SNAP and MediCal.

"A lot of times we see folks experiencing mental health crisis when the climate around them is feeling traumatizing or traumatic," Mahurin said. "It depends on how people are viewing the world and the conditions that exist, including politics, could impact people's mental health. So I do think that we are seeing more people based on a lot of different factors."

Mahurin says expansion of the program will allow the police department to continue leading callers towards mental health resources in Sonoma County. The department is asking the Santa Rosa City Council this week to waive the typical open bidding process so the city can immediately use the money and continue it's contract with Buckelew, the developer of the inRESPONSE team.

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health concerns, you can contact the inRESPONSE hotline for resources and support at 707-204-9756.