Thumbs up: More help in a mental health crisis

When someone calls 911 to report a mental health emergency, the first response usually comes from law enforcement - not because a crime has been committed but because there is no obvious alternative. In the not too distant past, some of those encounters ended in tragedy. As a result, most law enforcement agencies in Sonoma County now provide specialized training in working with mentally ill subjects.

In 2012, at the urging of Supervisor Shirlee Zane, the county restored its mobile response team, a group of mental health and substance abuse professionals, to assist with crisis calls. The goals include better outcomes and reducing the strain on law enforcement and the county jail.

But the mobile response team was available only in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor and Cotati. Until now. Beginning this week, the team expanded its response zone to include west county and the Sonoma Valley. “I'm very excited to see the expansion of these services to new areas of the county,” Sheriff Mark Essick said. So are we. Thumbs up.

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