Santa Clara County has streamlined the process for requesting a non-police response for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
Authorities have launched a direct hotline available around the clock to connect with the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST), a mental health crisis unit that operates in vans throughout the county to help de-escalate emergencies and offer resources and support to individuals and their families.
Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis can now reach out directly at 408-596-7290 rather than using 988.
“It’s great they’re finally doing the TRUST line, but it should have happened from the get-go,” Laurie Valdez, whose partner Antonio Guzman-Lopez was killed by San Jose State University police, told San Jose Spotlight.
TRUST was created by families from Silicon Valley who imagined, developed, and advocated for this service after experiencing the tragic loss of loved ones due to violent encounters with law enforcement. The 2022 launch faced some challenges right from the beginning.
County officials, ignoring families’ requests for a direct line, first directed calls for TRUST through the 988 suicide and crisis helpline. This resulted in callers navigating phone trees, facing long hold times, or being redirected if they didn’t have a 408 area code. Advocates reported receiving complaints from individuals who were advised to contact the police and had no connection to TRUST whatsoever.
Before the direct line was activated, these issues caused significant frustration for families, especially since time was of the essence when individuals in crisis might not think clearly. Amid growing discontent, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors decided to establish a direct line last December. By that time, TRUST had been in operation since the fall of 2022.
This news organization made two calls to assess the change and efficiency, successfully reaching an operator in approximately 30 seconds on both occasions.
Supporters appreciate the direct line, but believe county officials could have prevented these problems if their suggestions had been considered from the beginning.
“We pushed for TRUST, we waited, things initially weren’t panning out and we had to fight for some changes,” Rosie Chavez, whose nephew Jacob Dominguez was shot and killed by San Jose police in 2017, told San Jose Spotlight. “We’re in the right direction now. Let’s just see how this plays out.”