REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 4, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memoranda of Understanding for Crisis Response Services Collaboration
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memoranda of Understanding, including non-standard terms, with the following agencies for Department of Behavioral Health staff to provide collaborative crisis response services, from August 4, 2026 through July 31, 2031:
1. Chaffey Community College District, for the provision of office space.
2. City of Ontario Police Department and City of Ontario Fire Department, for the provision of office space, a police officer, and an emergency medical technician and assigned therapy canine.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). These non-financial Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) allow the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to provide crisis response services in collaboration with other agencies at no cost to the County.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2015, DBH has partnered with various agencies to provide collaborative crisis response services in underserved areas throughout the county. These partnerships include law enforcement agencies, hospital emergency departments, college campuses, and agencies within the judicial court system. These locations allow DBH to assist consumers experiencing a mental health crisis through programs such as the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) and the Triage Engagement and Support Team (TEST).
The COAST program utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to crisis stabilization that includes DBH TEST staff, law enforcement, emergency medical services staff, and, in some locations, additional support resources. The program was initially launched as a pilot in partnership with the City of Fontana in 2021 and was created to respond to the behavioral health needs of residents during specific crisis encounters in the field. Following the success of the pilot, DBH expanded the COAST program by partnering with additional agencies to provide coordinated crisis response services in county communities.
The TEST program provides crisis intervention, early identification, assessment, and support services to individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies. By placing DBH TEST staff at partnering agencies, DBH staff are able to respond more quickly to individuals in crisis, connect them to appropriate services, and utilize least restrictive alternatives, when appropriate, to reduce unnecessary hospitalization and law enforcement involvement.
Approval of the MOU with Chaffey Community College District (Chaffey) will allow DBH to place one behavioral health professional at Chaffey’s facility, located at 5885 Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, to provide TEST services.
Approval of the MOU with the City of Ontario Police Department (OPD) and the City of Ontario Fire Department (OFD) will allow for the placement of one behavioral health professional by DBH and one emergency medical technician and assigned therapy canine by OFD at OPD’s facility, located at 2500 South Archibald Avenue in Ontario, to provide COAST services in collaboration with an OPD police officer.
In 2024-25, there were 13,259 encounters with co-located DBH TEST staff in partnership with law enforcement agency sites. The continued use of less restrictive alternatives, including Crisis Walk-In Centers, Crisis Stabilization Units, and Crisis Residential Treatment facilities, resulted in 96% of DBH TEST crisis interventions being diverted from hospitalization.
The MOUs include the following insurance and indemnification language that differs from the standard County contract terms:
1. Per the MOUs, each party is required to defend, indemnify, or hold the other party harmless to the extent arising out of the respective party’s breach of the MOUs and negligent or wrongful acts or omissions in connection with its performance under the MOUs.
• County Policy 11-07 requires the contractor to indemnify the County against all claims arising out of the contract from any cause whatsoever.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify the various agencies, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. If the County is sued for any claim resulting from its own breach of the MOUs, negligent or wrongful acts, or omissions in connection with its performance under the MOUs, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages.
2. The MOUs do not require the contracting agencies to meet the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policies 11-05, 11-07 and 11-07SP.
• County policy requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the Risk Management Department and as set forth in County policy and in the County standard contract.
• Potential Impact: The County has no assurance that the contracting agencies will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the MOUs, which could result in expenses to the County that exceed the non-financial MOU amounts.
DBH recommends approval of the MOUs, including the non-standard terms, as it will allow DBH to collaborate with these agencies to provide rapid access to crisis intervention services for underserved populations throughout the county.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Michael Shin, Administrative Manager, 388-0899) on July 16, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 9, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on July 16, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on July 18, 2026.