Annually, the Garden Grove Police Department’s (GGPD) Special Resource Team responds to over 3,066 calls for services specifically involving mental health related needs. In addition, GGPD’s dispatch handles another 11,425 calls related to homelessness in which mental illness is either the primary cause or a significant contributing factor. While GGPD continues to serve as the primary first responders, the City advanced the opportunity to partner with mental health experts who are more specifically trained to navigate Orange County’s mental health care options. These services, such as Be Well OC Mobile Response Team or HOPE team would help free up GGPD officers to focus on crime prevention, proactive law enforcement, and quality of life issues; while providing trained crisis counselors to respond to those in need of mental health supportive services.

In May 2021, the City Council approved a Be Well OC pilot program to deploy a Mobile Response Team. The Be Well OC Mobile Response team or HOPE team are trained to respond to and de-escalate situations such as mental health crisis, drug and alcohol use issues, proactive outreach to the homeless, non-domestic violence/family disputes, and welfare checks. The City’s 18-month pilot program incorporated a ramp-up period of 6-month with the Garden Grove Police Department - Special Resources Team (SRT) in coordination with the Community and Economic Development Department and the Orange County Fire Authority. Over the past year, the pilot program has ramped-up to an 18- hour operation detailed as follows:

• Initiated training period and community engagement efforts in October 2021.
• Activated 12-hour operations, seven (7) days a week in October 2021. Transitioned to 18-hours deployment in August 2022.
• Maintained one (1) City dedicated mobile van manned by a 2-person team of mental health experts.

Over the past 12 months between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022, the Be Well team responded to 2,883 calls for service in Garden Grove. (See Attachment No. 1 - Be Well OC – Garden Grove Annual Report) Highlighted below reflect the latest September 2022 data:

• 57% of calls did not require a Co-Response thereby making available Garden Grove’s First Responders to better focus on critical emergency calls, since program inception.
• 81% of calls were dispatched to the community, since program inception. Other service call responses include: flagged down, mobile follow-up and case management.
• Average time spent on scene is 30.9 minutes for September 2022.
• Average Hope Team Service time is 11,133 minutes or 186 hours for September 2022.

Implementation of 18-month Be Well OC Mobile Response Team pilot program is due to end in December 2022. It is recommended that the City Council approve the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Be Well OC (Mind OC) for a 6-month extension of the City’s Mobile Response Team pilot program (Attachment No. 2). This aligns with City Council's approval of $450,000 for a 6-month extension in the current Continuation Budget.

It is recommended that the City Council approve:

• Approve the First Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Be Well OC (Mind OC) for an additional term of six months and an additional amount of $450,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $1.75 million to deployment of a Mobile Crisis Response Team pilot program; and
• Authorize the City Manager to sign the Agreement, and make minor modifications as appropriate on behalf of the City Council.