The San Jose City Council on Tuesday could vote to expand non-law enforcement crisis response for people having a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
The city's effort would be expand on Santa Clara County’s Trusted Response Urgent Support Team, or TRUST, that launched in November 2023. TRUST is intended to de-escalate situations without police involvement, though the teams trained in behavioral health do have authority to place people on a 72-hour hold for their own safety.
If the council agrees, the city of San Jose would commit up to $450,000 for a one-year period. But, Mayor Matt Mahan told NBC Bay Area there are strings attached.
"The county has to provide annual reporting: how many calls, how long was the wait time, how many times was the team deployed to the field and what were the outcomes of the calls," Mahan said. "There has to be measurement and transparency and accountability to ensure that people are actually getting help."
The mayor also said the team has to be up and running out in the field by next spring or the city will pull its funding.
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