"They made me feel like I mattered": a qualitative study of how mobile crisis teams can support people experiencing homelessness
McDaniel, Megan; Sundaram, Sanjana; Manjanatha, Deekshitha; Odes, Rebecca; Lerman, Perri; Handley, Margaret A.; Coffin, Phillip O.; Myers, Janet J.; Goldman, Matthew L.
Abstract
Mobile crisis teams (MCTs) can be important alternatives to emergency medical services or law enforcement for low-acuity 911 calls. MCTs address crises by de-escalating non-violent situations related to mental health or substance use disorders and concurrent social needs, which are common among people experiencing homelessness (PEH). We sought to explore how an MCT in one city served the needs and supported the long- and short-term goals of PEH who had recently received MCT services. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with service recipients of the Street Crisis Response Team, a new 911-dispatched MCT implemented in San Francisco in November 2020. In the weeks after their encounter, we interviewed respondents about their overall MCT experience and comparisons to similar services, including perceived facilitators and barriers to the respondent's self-defined life goals.