Dear Chief Norris, city staff and council members,
Thank you very much for the information report about the plans for Menlo Park to join the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Team pilot.
It was good to see the information about the progress of the pilot in other San Mateo County cities in serving response teams when there are mental health issues. Preliminary outcomes identified in the Stanford Gardner Center report including an apparent reduction in involuntary holds (5150) andan apparent reduction in 911 calls for people who had previously experienced frequent needs for 911 calls. It is also good to see that there is a plan to bring on shared clinician resources to handle times outside of the regular workday when the current clinician serves.
As the pilot continues, it will be helpful to see additional results focusing on the outcomes of the pilot like the preliminary outcomes identified in the Stanford Gardner report.
Lastly, the interim Stanford Gardner report from March 2023 is mentioned in the Menlo Park staff report but not linked. With the information provided, I was able to find a copy on the Redwood City website (see below). Can a link also be provided in Menlo Parks materials?
https://www.redwoodcity.org/home/showpublisheddocument/26584/638180431972370000
Thanks,
- Adina
Adina Levin
Menlo Park resident
