Dublin Council OKs Tri-Valley Mental Health Pilot Program

DUBLIN, CA — The Dublin City Council unanimously voted last week to participate in a Tri-Valley mental health pilot program, in partnership with the cities of Pleasanton and Livermore and Axis Community Health.

Dubbed the Mental Health Urgent Care Center pilot project, the program would be accessible to any residents of Dublin, Pleasanton or Livermore regardless of their income or insurance status. People could make same-day appointments for urgent care needs, and telehealth appointments would be provided during the coronavirus pandemic.

The program is expected to serve some 500 patients in its first year, Dublin staff members wrote in a report to the Dublin City Council.

"The need for mental health services in the Tri-Valley has increased dramatically in the last decade and has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic," Pleasanton staff members wrote in a report to the Pleasanton City Council. "There is not enough capacity to meet the demand and the systems are complex and difficult to maneuver, especially in a crisis."

The site would be located at an existing Axis site in Pleasanton, which is currently being used to offer behavioral health services to teens in the city, the Pleasanton staff said. Pleasanton is in the midst of a two-year contract with Axis for $70,000.

The facility would initially be open weekdays 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 5925 W. Las Positas Blvd., Suite 100. That's when police receive the most mental health-related calls. Hours could be adjusted depending on community need and budget, Dublin staff said.

"I think this is very needed because I see the increasing numbers of people, including teenagers and students, needing these kinds of services urgently," said Dublin Councilmember Sherry Hu at the council's Tuesday meeting.

Axis approached city managers of Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore in October and proposed a program to provide urgent care mental health services, Pleasanton staff said. The three cities have agreed to pay a total of $320,000 for startup costs in the first year, and Alameda County Behavioral Health is expected to put $250,000 in grant funding toward the program. If county grant funding is received, each city would have to pitch in only $24,000.

Staff would determine where patients have a mild to moderate condition or a moderate or severe condition, according to the city of Pleasanton's staff report. An estimated 5 percent of patients would need medication in order to benefit from treatment and would be referred to facilities that can offer appropriate care.

Staff would seek to avoid placing patients under an involuntary mental health hold — also called a "5150," referring to the relevant section of the California Welfare and Institutions Code — even if they are wrestling with suicidal thoughts, Pleasanton staff wrote.

The issue has become a national topic of discussion over reallocating police funding to mental health agencies better equipped than police to deal with mental health emergencies.

"A lot of our police officers are not therapists and psychiatrists," said Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez during the meeting. "How are we also able to help them as well before elevating it to a 911 phone call?"

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law in January that increases mental health services private health care companies must provide. The new law requires providers to cover full treatment of all mental health conditions and substance-use disorders identified in the most recent edition of the International Classification of Diseases or the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

"This is just such a success and everybody seems really excited about it," Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown said during the council's Tuesday meeting.

— Bay City News contributed to this report