TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: MICHAEL CISZEK, CHIEF OF POLICE
DATE: APRIL 14, 2026
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
MOBILE CRISIS CARE TEAM (MCC TEAM) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Body
SUMMARY
The Police Department seeks City Council approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tri-City Mental Health Authority (TCMHA) to establish a partnership with the Mobile Crisis Care Team (MCC Team). The MCC Team will respond to non-violent, non-criminal calls for assistance received by the Claremont Police Department.
The goal of the MCC Team is to utilize police resources more effectively and efficiently to respond to social-emotional/mental health needs of Claremont residents and/or visitors. The MCC Team will use trained mental health professionals to take the lead on non-violent, non-criminal calls for assistance received by the Police Department, including responses to persons with mental health needs who do not have a permanent residence.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tri-City Mental Health Authority for the Mobile Crisis Care Team to work in conjunction with and to respond to non-violent, non-criminal calls for assistance received by the Claremont Police Department.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Do not approve the proposed MOU.
B. Request changes to the proposed MOU. Any changes must be approved by the Governing Board of the Tri-City Mental Health Authority. Depending on the nature and scope of the changes, this could delay approval of the MOU.
C. Continue this item (e.g., to request additional information or changes to the proposed MOU).
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Tri-City Mental Health Authority was initially supported through a Crisis Care Mobile Unit (CCMU) Development Grant, which funded planning and start-up activities. Following that initial phase, the program transitioned to Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding to support operations and staffing. The CCMU grant was time-limited and was not intended to sustain ongoing services.
As MHSA transitions to the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), the Mobile Crisis Care program will continue and be fully funded through BHSA behavioral health funding allocations, with planned program expansion under this framework.
Importantly, the Mobile Crisis Care program does not require, and has not required, any City funding, and no municipal financial contribution is anticipated.
The staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $1,500 and is included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
Since 1960, the TCMHA has been the public mental health authority and primary provider of outpatient services for the communities of Claremont, La Verne and Pomona. TCMHA provides a variety of outpatient mental health services to include peer support, medication support, prevention and early intervention services, clinical case management, linkage and referral, and community outreach and training.
Recently, the TCMHA launched a Mobile Crisis Care Team. The MCC Team has authority to operate independently in the Cities of Claremont, La Verne and Pomona, providing mobile care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. Claremont Police Department staff have been working with TCMHA to develop an MOU that will integrate the MCC Team into the Police Department’s operations to utilize police resources more effectively and efficiently to respond to social-emotional/mental health needs of Claremont residents and/or visitors by using trained mental health professionals to take the lead on non-violent, non-criminal calls to law enforcement for assistance, including responses to addressing persons who do not have a permanent residence.
The objectives of the MCC Team are to:
• Provide mental health professional support 24 hours a day to the Police Department when responding to calls for support from the community that indicate a person is experiencing a mental health issue and/or in need of some type of mental health intervention, including persons who are homeless, whose behavior is non-violent, non-criminal and does not require law enforcement intervention.
• Expedite access to and enrollment in appropriate levels of mental health care for persons referred for intervention to mitigate future crises and increased likelihood of stable community and social-emotional functioning; and reduce law enforcement encounters.
• Provide longer-term case management/follow-up for persons identified as not having housing and in need of mental health services to assist them to enroll in services and more easily access necessary support systems. These persons may be referred to the MCC Team by the Community (Homeless) Navigator assigned to Claremont. Community Navigators assist individuals in the Tri-City service area with connections to local resources, both informal and formal services.
These objectives will be achieved by responding to calls for assistance as a team, with members of the MCC Team assigned with a Police Officer, to provide crisis response, screening, evaluation, referral, and assessment as needed.
The Claremont Police Department will serve as the primary public safety responder to incidents involving a potential behavioral health crisis. PD personnel will address immediate safety threats, criminal activity, or medical emergencies consistent with the law and department policy.
The Claremont Police Dispatch Center will screen calls to identify mental health concerns and notify the MCC Team at the same time that officers are dispatched to the call. New protocols and subsequent training will be implemented for the Claremont Police Dispatchers. The protocols will require Dispatchers to ask callers if they need Police, Fire, Paramedics, or Mental Health assistance.
Upon receiving a call for service involving a mental health issue, Claremont Police will take responsible steps to stabilize the scene prior to in-person clinical assessment to ensure the safety of the individual needing assistance, the MCC Team, and responding officers. Claremont Police will assess the scene to ensure there are no weapons, controlling any active threats or an unsafe environment, managing bystanders, reducing environmental hazards and confirming when the scene is safe for a clinician to approach.
Claremont Police will maintain a safety presence as appropriate while the MCC Team conducts clinical engagement and assessment, and will support a coordinated, non-duplicative approach to interaction with the person in crisis.
If the MCC Team determines that hospitalization or involuntary evaluation is necessary, Claremont Police will provide transportation assistance when safety concerns are present to deliver the individual to a hospital or facility or support the transfer of the individual to EMS for transport to the appropriate facility.
Claremont Police may share relevant, lawfully obtained information with the MCC Team as necessary to support safe and effective crisis assessment, response, and care coordination. Information shared shall be limited to observations, safety concerns and other operational details reasonably necessary for the MCC Team to assess risk and determine appropriate intervention and shall be disclosed and used solely in accordance with applicable Federal, State and local privacy and confidentiality laws.
In addition, the MCC Team response may be requested after an initial response by officers when it is determined that a response by a mental health team would be appropriate. Regardless of the origin of the initial response, the MCC Team will provide follow-up for individuals and families to ensure they are connected to appropriate ongoing services.
The MCC Team will fulfill its mission by assigning a two-person team, which minimally includes a peer support specialist and a licensed professional, or any combination outlined below, who will respond to calls for service. The licensed team member will be Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) certified to write California Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 holds and will either be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist- LMFT, a Licensed Psychiatric Technician - LPT or a Licensed Psychologist - Ph.D.
The MCC Team will provide services 24 hours a day/seven days a week, serving the communities of Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont. While the MCC Team is designed to offer continuous regional coverage, response availability may occasionally be limited due to call volumes across the three jurisdictions.
In situations where the MCC Team is unavailable, Claremont Police Department personnel will continue to address mental health-related incidents in accordance with established department procedures and state law. Officers will ensure scene safety, conduct an assessment, and determine the appropriate course of action. When an individual meets the criteria pursuant to California Welfare and Institutions Code §5150, officers may initiate a 72-hour involuntary detention for evaluation and treatment and facilitate transportation to an appropriate mental health facility. Some modifications to this schedule may occur as the call/response data and needs of the City dictate. The MCC Team will also:
• Follow-up on all calls received by the Police Department that the MCC Team was unavailable to respond due to prior calls for service which involve a mental health need to facilitate access and increase likelihood of engagement to appropriate level of mental health support.
• Coordinate follow-up with the Police Department for persons placed on California Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 (Lanterman-Petris-Short Act or “LPS”) holds where the MCC Team was unavailable to facilitate access and increase the likelihood of ongoing mental health care.
As proposed, this program will be continuously evaluated using data, community feedback, and collaborating partners’ experiences and will be adapted, adjusted, or modified needed.
LEGAL REVIEW
The attached Memorandum of Understanding has been approved as to form by both the Tri-City Mental Health Authority’s General Counsel and Claremont’s City Attorney.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, General Plan, and the 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by:
Michael Ciszek
Police Chief
Attachment:
Memorandum of Understanding