The County of San Luis Obispo receives a grant to begin a new behavioral health program.
The County’s Behavioral Health Community Action Team will work with the County Sheriff’s Office Community Action team to help keep people with mental illness or substance use disorders out of the criminal justice system.
This new program provides clinical mental health supports to the Sheriff’s Office and other area law enforcement Community Action Teams.
The team will work in the field with fellow law enforcement and are trained to encourage people to join treatment and other services prior to or in lieu of arrest.
This is a five-year grant with $1.6 million awarded to the county. The grant supports the county’s “stepping initiative” to reduce the number of people with mental illness in the jails.
