HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210526_AB988City of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
May 27, 2021
The Honorable Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Member, California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 6011
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-2116
RE: AB 988 (Bauer-Kahan) Mental Health: Mobile Crisis Support Teams: 988 Crisis Hotline -
Notice of Support
Dear Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan:
The City of San Luis Obispo is pleased to support AB 988 (Bauer-Kahan), which would
establish a comprehensive system for the purpose of connecting individuals experiencing a mental
health crisis with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors, mobile crisis support teams,
and crisis receiving and stabilization services.
Across the nation, there is a growing movement to realign crisis services provided to
individuals with behavioral health issues away from a law enforcement centric model to a more mental
health crisis support model. A July 2020 article published by the National Conference of State
Legislatures stated that nationally, people experiencing a mental health crisis, are more likely to
encounter law enforcement than medical assistance.
California is facing a mental health crisis. According to the Steinberg Institute and The
Kennedy Forum, cosponsors of this bill, one in six Californians live with a mental illness. Suicides
have been steadily climbing, increasing by 35 percent nationally over the last two decades, and calls
to existing suicide prevention call centers skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. AB 988 will
ensure the state is prepared to answer the calls of all Californians in need, by providing a seamless
transition from our current suicide prevention system and handling the expected increase in calls to
suicide prevention lines. For these reasons, The City of San Luis Obispo supports AB 988.
Sincerely,
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
cc. San Luis Obispo City Council