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PRESS RELEASE. From the City of Half Moon Bay on June 30th, 2025.
Half Moon Bay, CA – June 2025 – The City of Half Moon Bay and nonprofit El Centro de Libertad announced that the successful Crisis Assistance Response & Evaluation Services (CARES) program will conclude operations on June 30, 2025, until new, sustainable funding sources are identified. Since its launch in 2022, the CARES pilot program has provided compassionate, community-based crisis response and has become a model of care on the Coastside and for other communities.
Initially funded through support from the City, County, and Kaiser Permanente, a $1 million state Behavioral Health Justice Intervention Services grant provided long-term funding to develop and sustain the program over the last three years. Since 2022, the City has extended the original one-year pilot program multiple times in response to strong community support and measurable positive outcomes.
CARES launched in March 2022 with a two-person, specially trained, bilingual response team—a behavioral health clinician and an EMT—responding to 911 calls involving nonviolent mental health crises. By September 2022, the program expanded to serve the full Coastside region from Devils Slide to Pescadero with daily coverage from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“We could not be prouder of what this program has achieved,” said Half Moon Bay Mayor Robert Brownstone. “At its core, our job as a City is to protect and care for our community, ensuring that every resident feels safe, supported, and seen. CARES helps us do that. By meeting people where they are and offering alternative help and assistance, this program builds trust, saves lives, and redefines what public safety can look like. Thanks to the support of our partners and community, CARES has shown that local governments can respond to mental health challenges with both humanity and impact. We now turn to the next challenge: finding a sustainable path forward.”
The CARES team provides culturally competent de-escalation, crisis-intervention, motivational interviewing, and suicide prevention tools to work with individuals in crisis. The outcomes have been remarkable:
- Over 894 calls since the start of the program
- 98% of calls did not require escalation
- Hundreds of successful connections to services and follow-up care
- Average response time under 10 minutes
These results have validated the program’s compassionate and effective approach to mental health crises, offering a caring alternative to police or hospital-based responses.
“At El Centro de Libertad, our mission has always been to serve the communities that need us most with dignity, compassion, and culturally responsive care,” said Michael Akana, Executive Director of El Centro de Libertad. “Being entrusted with the opportunity to bring the CARES program to life in Half Moon Bay and across the Coastside has been deeply meaningful. We’ve seen firsthand how this model changes lives. We are committed to continue providing outpatient addiction treatment, education classes, case management and referral services to our neighbors in crisis.”
Based on a similar model as CARES, the San Mateo County’s Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) launched in July 2024 and provides services throughout the County. MCRT can be reached 24 hours per day/7 days per week by calling 650‑579‑0350 or 988.
The City of Half Moon Bay and El Centro de Libertad are actively exploring additional grant opportunities, philanthropic partnerships, and public funding options to ensure the continuation of the CARES program beyond June 30, 2025. Stakeholders and potential partners interested in supporting this effort are encouraged to reach out to Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester at (650) 726-8272 or MChidester@hmbcity.com.
About CARES
CARES is a joint initiative of the City of Half Moon Bay, El Centro de Libertad, San Mateo County Public Safety Communications, and other local partners. The program is rooted in community wellness, harm reduction, and accessible care—providing compassionate crisis response for those experiencing behavioral health challenges.
About El Centro de Libertad
Founded in 1994, El Centro de Libertad is a bilingual, community-based nonprofit offering mental health, substance use, and crisis services grounded in compassion and dignity. As the operator of CARES, El Centro has brought decades of experience in culturally competent care to the Midcoast.
About the City of Half Moon Bay
Located 28 miles south of San Francisco, the City of Half Moon Bay is a community of about 12,000 people, situated on the peninsula between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastlines that California has to offer. The Half Moon Bay community prides itself on being welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and supportive of all who live and work here. Its historic downtown features shops, galleries, restaurants, and other businesses, and its celebrated beaches and parks are wonders of nature, accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians.
More on SMCo Mobile Crisis Response Team on Coastside Buzz
San Mateo County Begins to Rollout Non-Armed Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Countywide;
More on City of Half Moon Bay on Coastside Buzz
More on the CARES program on Coastside Buzz
Half Moon Bay City Council Meetings ~ 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7:00pm
The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget.
The Half Moon Bay City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:00pm at the Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue.
HMB City Council Agendas and Zoom Links
Regular meeting agendas are posted 72 hours in advance.
Special meeting agendas are posted 24 hours in advance.
– Streamed live on Comcast Channel 27 and Pacific Coast TV website
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Comments in accordance with the three-minute per speaker limit. The City Clerk will read all comments into the record. Please visit our “Commenting at a City Council Meeting” information page.
– Email Maggie Rodriguez, Assistant City Clerk, at MRodriguez@hmbcity.com prior to or during the meeting
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– Phone during the meeting: (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish)
Archived HMB City Council meeting videos on PCTv
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City Council Contact
Phone: (650) 726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
Mayor Robert Brownstone, District 1; Term ends 2026
RBrownstone@hmbcity.com
Vice Mayor Debbie Ruddock, District 4; Term ends 2026
DRuddock@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Deborah Penrose, District 5, Term ends 2026
DPenrose@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Patric Bo Jonsson, District 2, Term Ends 2028
PJonsson@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Paul Nagengast, District 3; Term Ends 2028
PNagengast@hmbcity.com
The City of Half Moon Bay holds district-based elections for its five city council seats. Each Councilmember is elected to a 4 year term. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis.
- November 2024 Election – Districts 2 and 3 will elect a representative to a four-year term.
- November 2026 Election – Districts 1, 4, and 5 will elect a representative to a four-year term.
Click here to figure out which district you are in. Type your address into the interactive map and it will show you which district you are in.
Author: mdrag
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