REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 23, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding with Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District for the Community Outreach and Support Team Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding between the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District, the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, and the Department of Behavioral Health, to provide crisis services to residents of San Bernardino County through the Community Outreach and Support Team program, effective September 23, 2025 through September 30, 2029.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). This is a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that allows the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to utilize office space located within the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s (Sheriff) Rancho Cucamonga Station and have access to field support from the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District (RCFPD) at no cost to San Bernardino County (County).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to county residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. Since 2015, DBH has partnered with multiple agencies for the use of office space, at no cost, to place DBH crisis triage staff in underserved areas throughout the county. DBH manages locations known as ”points of access” at agencies such as law enforcement, hospital emergency departments, and colleges, to assist residents experiencing a mental health crisis.
Following the success of the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) pilot program with the City of Ontario, operating under COAST MOU No. 23-915 as approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on August 22, 2023 (Item No. 19), for the Sheriff to provide office space at no cost and assign a Deputy Sheriff to collaborate with DBH and RCFPD to pilot the COAST program for the City of Rancho Cucamonga (City). The COAST pilot program consists of a crisis response mobile unit, which includes a behavioral health professional of the Triage Engagement and Support Team (TEST), a RCFPD firefighter Emergency Medical Technician, and their assigned therapy canine; and a plain-clothed Deputy Sheriff. They work as a multidisciplinary team to respond to the behavioral health needs of residents during specific crisis encounters in the field.
Recently, County law enforcement dispatch centers have experienced an increased number of behavioral health related 911 emergency calls. DBH and Sheriff wish to collaborate with RCFPD for enhanced rapid crisis stabilization to avoid unnecessary incarcerations and/or hospitalizations, thereby reducing law enforcement and emergency healthcare expenditures.
Currently, DBH TEST staff are co-located within multiple County and non-County agencies countywide through no cost office space MOUs. The TEST program provides specialized crisis intervention, continuum of care, and intensive case management for individuals experiencing an urgent psychiatric health condition with up to 59 days of follow-up services. This MOU will allow an existing TEST staff member to be located within the Sheriff Rancho Cucamonga Station to serve as a member of the multidisciplinary team in the COAST program. The COAST program currently serves the City of Fontana, City of Ontario and the City of San Bernardino.
It is anticipated that the COAST team will provide services to approximately 250 unduplicated residents of the City annually. The MOU reaffirms the County’s commitment to provide access to crisis intervention services for underserved populations at various collaborated sites throughout the county. The MOU may be terminated without cause upon 30 days’ written notice by any party.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Michael Shin, Administrative Manager, 388-0899) on August 29, 2025; Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director, 387-0640) on June 26, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin and Grace B. Parsons, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 30, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on September 8, 2025.