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San Diego leaders looking for solutions to the county's mental health issues have turned to other cities around for ideas. They may have found a blueprint in Eugene, Oregon.
"If the wheel had already been created, we wanted to copy it and make it 'San Diego,'" says San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan.
For 31 years, Eugene, Oregon, has used the "Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets" or "CAHOOTS" program to respond to mental health calls.
As part of the blueprint, San Diego County launched its "Mobile Crisis Response Team" in January. The MCRT operates in coastal cities in North County as part of a pilot program.
According to Stephan, the MCRT has already responded to 34 calls, and only one needed help from the police.
"This sets us on a path of longer-term, more compassionate, more real solutions that work," says Stephan.
County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher adds that the MCRT is part of a cultural shift. He wants San Diego to start treating these incidents as health issues, not crimes.
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