Crisis response questions remain after Sacramento sheriff’s new policy on mental health calls

SACRAMENTO — Since the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department stopped responding to non-criminal mental health calls, the focus has been on 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, run by WellSpace Health in Sacramento and 31 other California counties. 

According to Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, the policy change follows a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which held that law enforcement officers may not be entitled to qualified immunity when responding to non-criminal mental health incidents. 

Dr. Jonathan Porteus, CEO of WellSpace Health and a licensed clinical psychologist, broke down the impacts of the policy change for CBS13. He said he is encouraged by the progress made in Sacramento County but acknowledges the need for further growth.

“This is not a brand new conversation. This is not an idle reaction,” Porteus said.

Before 988, 911 was the only option in a mental health crisis. The call would then be transferred to EMS or fire to a hospital, or to police and sheriff, to jail. Now, the behavioral health crisis continuum has grown, with the addition of 988. 

Trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 by talk, text, or chat. In these calls, Porteus said, 95% of calls are resolved by counselor intervention. On these calls, the trained counselors identify what steps happen next. In Sacramento County, that may be calling on the Community Wellness Response Team. 

Through 988, counselors may also refer to EMS or fire to the hospital or a Crisis Receiving for Behavioral Health, or law enforcement. 

“I don’t believe it’s a wise thing for law enforcement to step completely out, but we need to know what that place is, what the scale of the involvement is, and their role,” he said.

Sheriff Cooper said that the department expected the number of calls to 988 to increase due to the policy change. Porteus explained that 988 is staffed for an increase of calls, and because it is a national lifeline if Sacramento County counselors are engaged, the calls may be picked up by counselors across the system. 

In Sacramento County, 911 and 988 are interoperable, which is a state goal for every county. 

Porteus said that the sheriff’s department has taken an important step but emphasized the need for continued collaboration.

“The sheriff’s office is just one piece of our law enforcement across the region. We have this conversation with Sac PD and other departments across the region,” he said.

Looking ahead, Porteus is optimistic about developing best practices for crisis response that involve law enforcement as needed while ensuring that mental health professionals lead the way.

“We can set the best practice. I believe that we—WellSpace Health and law enforcement—are going to work it out,” he said.

As Sacramento County is the first agency to make this change, Porteus said conversations about the role of law enforcement in mental health crisis’s are happening with agencies statewide. 

Building the Future of Crisis Response

Despite the progress, Porteus recognizes that more resources are needed, especially for individuals who require in-person support.

“We still need to build places to go that are not hospitals, not jails, not acute care environments. We still need to give people an opportunity to work through a crisis,” he said.

Ultimately, Porteus and the 988 team are ready to engage in ongoing conversations to improve Sacramento’s mental health crisis system. The sheriff’s policy change has “forced the issue,” Porteus said, and now he believes the region has an opportunity to lead the way in developing a comprehensive, compassionate response system.