The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has announced a citywide expansion of the Community Crisis Response (CCR) team, which responds to a subset of calls-for-service where mental health support, health education and resource navigation could support the safety and health outcomes for community members at the center of calls. The CCR team, which first started as a pilot program in West Long Beach in 2023 before expanding to the downtown area in early 2024, will now serve the entire city.

“By expanding our Community Crisis Response team citywide, we are ensuring residents in every neighborhood have access to this critical resource and promoting positive health outcomes,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This is about meeting the community where they are and providing the proper mental health and wellbeing support everyone deserves.”

The CCR team operates weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides immediate mental health support, crisis intervention, de-escalation services, health education and resource navigation assistance. The program’s citywide expansion comes as a result of collaboration with the Police Department and community stakeholders who identified the need for broader service areas beyond the original pilot regions. CCR is an interdepartmental effort among several City departments, including Health, Fire, Police and Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. Dispatch operations are managed through the Emergency Communications Center via the Long Beach non-emergency line, available at 562.435.6711, where call takers identify appropriate calls for a health-based response, ensuring efficient routing to CCR.

Since launching in July 2023, CCR’s singular team has provided support for more than 863 community members, supporting those experiencing mental health crises, substance use concerns, public disturbances and resource navigation needs. To date, 59% of calls have been resolved on-scene, with 58% of calls leading to direct resources and supplies such as food, water, harm reduction and clothing, 25% resulting in referrals to other support services to support the needs of the community member, 11% receiving transportation services, and only 6% requiring assistance from other Public Safety services such as the Long Beach Police Department and Fire Department or other Emergency Medical Services. For more detailed data, CCR also maintains a publicly accessible data dashboard to provide real-time program performance metrics and promote transparency.

“The expansion of CCR reflects the program’s proven impact and effectiveness,” said Health and Human Services Director Alison King. “We’re proud to offer community members a compassionate response to crises and are committed to expanding our reach to meet the City’s needs.”

Funding for CCR comes from a combination of state grants and local funds. This includes a $1 million, two-year grant awarded in 2024 through the Board of State and Community Corrections’ Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, which expires in September 2026 and was awarded through a competitive grant process.

Community members who may be seeking ways to support someone through connection to services or who are seeking referrals related to mental health or basic needs support, are encouraged to call the City’s nonemergency line at 562.435.6711. This line is answered by the City’s Emergency Communications Center. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis requiring immediate attention is encouraged to call 9-1-1.

For more information about the CCR team, people may visit longbeach.gov/CCR.