Approve agreement with Wellspace Health in the amount of $500,000 from March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 for the provision of short-term behavioral health crisis intervention services for individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. (No general fund impact) (Morales)

Approve agreement with Wellspace Health in the amount of $500,000 from March 1, 2026 through January February 28, 2027 for the provision of short-term behavioral health crisis intervention services for individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis
 

On April 29, 2025, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors directed Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) to pursue an alternate plan to the Crisis Now 2.0 model for the operation of a crisis receiving center. HHSA has decided to pursue a one-year pilot project that entails contracting with a vendor that operates an existing receiving center. Wellspace Health operates the only existing behavioral health crisis receiving center (BHCRC) of its kind within a reasonable distance from Yolo County.

The Crisis Now model focuses on a three-component system for addressing behavioral health crises: “Someone to Call” (crisis call centers); “Someone to Respond” (mobile crisis response teams), and “A Place to Go” (crisis stabilization centers). Together, these components work to provide a comprehensive and effective response to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.  Yolo County has successfully implemented the first two components via a high-tech call center and 24/7 and mobile crisis response services. The proposed pilot would provide “A Place to Go” through a contract with Wellspace Health- the current operator of the County’s 24/7 Behavioral Health Access and Crisis Call Center.

Behavioral Health Crisis Receiving Centers (BHCRCs) are facilities designed to provide immediate care and support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or substance use emergency. BHCRCs are crucial components of the behavioral health crisis care system. These facilities offer an alternative to institutional care and are designed to reduce emergency department overcrowding, prevent unnecessary incarceration, and improve the overall crisis response system while providing a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or substance use emergency. BHCRCs operate around-the-clock, ensuring individuals can access care at any time of day or night. The primary goal is to de-escalate the situation and stabilize individuals, preventing further harm or escalation.
 

Benefits of BHCRCs include:

Following a presentation at the December 9, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board approved HHSA to move forward with this agreement.

 

This agreement will support the purchase of three crisis support beds from WellSpace Health’s BHCRC.  These beds will provide for voluntary and immediate access to short-term crisis intervention services and integrated services for co­-occurring substance use disorders that will serve as a substance use and mental health respite. Services will have a focus on wellness and recovery that serves as an alternative to emergency department visits for clients who have immediate mental health needs.

County Counsel has approved this agreement as to form
Financial Services Department
General Services Department-Procurement Division
County Administrator’s Office
Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC)
WellSpace Health

Competitive Selection
On May 28, 2025, the then-acting County’s Deputy Director of the General Services Department (GSD)/Manager of Procurement/County Purchasing Agent (Purchasing Agent) approved a sole/single source procurement for these services. Factors considered in the approval of this procurement include but are not limited to: 1) Wellspace Health operates the only existing crisis receiving center of its kind within a reasonable distance from Yolo County; 2) the cost for these services is reasonable; 3) Wellspace follows the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Best Practice for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Toolkit by providing the third component of the Crisis Now model; 3) the County’s struggles with success implementation of a robust Crisis Now continuum of care—the County did not receive any proposals in response to the Crisis Now Services Request for Proposal (RFP).

Performance Measures 
At this time, formal performance measures are not included in the Wellspace Health Agreement. An RFP to formally solicit an evaluation services provider for the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program has been completed, and a contractor has been awarded.  The contractor will be responsible for completing a Local Evaluation Plan (LEP) and Local Evaluation Report (LER) as required by the grant. The measures will be reported as performance measures for the Wellspace Agreement.