REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title of Understanding
Non-Financial Memoranda of Understanding for the Community Outreach and Support Team Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Acting as the governing body of San Bernardino County:
a. Approve, on behalf of its Department of Behavioral Health and Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, for the provision of office space, a Certified Emergency Medical Technician and assigned therapy canine, and a behavioral health professional to support Community Outreach and Support Team program services, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.
b. Approve, on behalf of its Department of Behavioral Health, non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the Fontana Police Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, for the provision of office space, a Certified Emergency Medical Technician and assigned therapy canine, and a behavioral health professional to support Community Outreach and Support Team program services, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.
2. Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
a. Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County, on behalf of its Department of Behavioral Health and Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, for the provision of office space, a Certified Emergency Medical Technician and assigned therapy canine, and a behavioral health professional to support Community Outreach and Support Team program services, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.
b. Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County, on behalf of its Department of Behavioral Health, and the Fontana Police Department, for the provision of office space, a Certified Emergency Medical Technician and assigned therapy canine, and a behavioral health professional to support Community Outreach and Support Team program services, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of these agreements will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). These are non-financial Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that allow the agencies to provide crisis intervention services in collaboration through the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) Program at no cost to the County.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2015, the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) has partnered with various agencies for no-cost office space to place DBH crisis triage staff in underserved areas throughout the County. These locations, known as points of access, include law enforcement agencies, hospital emergency departments, college campuses, and agencies within the judicial court system.
In 2021, the City of Fontana initiated the COAST pilot program, which consisted of a crisis response mobile unit that included a DBH Triage Engagement and Support Team (TEST) behavioral health professional, a Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a plain-clothed specialty trained law enforcement officer, and a therapy canine. The multidisciplinary team was created to respond to the behavioral health needs of residents during specific crisis encounters in the field.
Following the success of the City of Fontana COAST pilot program, DBH partnered with the San Bernardino County Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Sheriff) and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (Fire) in 2023 to expand COAST services in County communities, including Muscoy, unincorporated North San Bernardino, Highland, Mentone, and surrounding areas of the Yucaipa border.
On June 13, 2023 (Item No. 90), the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County and the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (Boards) approved a non-financial MOU (Agreement No. 23-592), between DBH, Sheriff, and Fire for the COAST program to provide crisis services to residents of San Bernardino County, for the period of June 13, 2023 through June 30, 2026 with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
Due to updated provisions related to funding sources and titles for DBH staff, DBH is proposing a new MOU between DBH, Sheriff, and Fire to allow for the continued partnership to support the COAST program. Under this MOU, Sheriff will provide office space for DBH TEST staff, Fire will provide an EMT and therapy canine, and DBH will provide a behavioral health professional to support COAST services.
Approval of the MOU between DBH, Fire, and Fontana Police Department (FPD) will formalize the partnership between DBH, Fire, and FPD for the COAST program in the City of Fontana (City). Under this MOU, FPD will provide office space for DBH TEST staff, Fire will provide an EMT and therapy canine, and DBH will provide a behavioral health professional to support COAST services within the city and surrounding communities.
In 2024-25, the DBH/Sheriff/Fire COAST team had 334 encounters, demonstrating the program’s positive impact in the community. These encounters reaffirm the effectiveness of this multidisciplinary approach to crisis stabilization, which helps reduce the use of law enforcement resources and hospital emergency departments, while mitigating the potential for unintended negative outcomes.
The MOUs reaffirm the County’s commitment to provide access to crisis intervention services for underserved populations at various collaborative sites throughout the county. The MOUs may be terminated without cause upon 30 days’ written notice by either party.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0862) on May 27, 2026; San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (Bertral Washington, Deputy Chief, 387-5779) on June 1, 2026; San Bernardino County Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Jose Torres, Administrative Manager, 387-3465) on June 2, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Miles Kowalski, and Aaron Gest, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 4, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, 386-8392, and Erika Rodarte, 387-4919, Administrative Analysts, and Jessica Trillo, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on June 5, 2026.