Kings County Launches New Mental Health Services

Kings County Behavioral Health Department has two new programs aimed at enhancing mental health support.

On December 31, it officially launched its 24-hours-a-day/7-days-a-week Behavioral Health Call Center and Mobile Crisis Response Program.

This service is to help people in Kings County access county mental health and substance use disorder services, especially those experiencing psychiatric crises, or those in need of a compassionate listener.

The center, which is staffed by trained call operators and behavioral health responders, is accessible by phone anytime of the day, any day of the week at (559) 247-4357 (247-HELP).

For those experiencing a psychiatric crisis, trained behavioral health responders will be dispatched to assist the individual wherever they are in the community.

CARE Act Program

On December 1, Kings County initiated the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act Program, which was launched in all California counties through Senate Bill 1338 as an additional support for engagement with adults 18 years of age and older with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders who may be struggling to engage in outpatient mental health pathways.

This program allows individuals such as family members, support persons, first responders and treating providers to assist an individual with a psychotic disorder struggling to engage in treatment by petitioning the local civil court to initiate engagement through the CARE Act Program.

This intensive multidisciplinary field-based, person-centered approach is meant to help those most vulnerable experiencing severe mental illness in getting the treatment and housing needed.

If you know someone with schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder struggling to effectively engage in mental health services, the Kings County Superior Court's Self-Help Center (www.kings.courts.ca.gov/self-help) is available to assist them in the petition process.

You can visit the court at 1640 Kings County Dr., Hanford; call (559) 582-1010, option 8; or email kingsselfhelpcenter@kings.courts.ca.gov.

Kings County residents are encouraged to save the number (559) 247-HELP (4357) in their phones.

For more information, visit http://www.kcbh.org/care-court.html.