The city of Anaheim is ending its contract for mobile mental health services with a prominent nonprofit, LAist has learned.
It’s the second city in less than a month to end its contract with the organization Mind OC, which was formed in 2018 with the goal of improving the county’s mental health care system. Newport Beach scrapped its contract for similar services in August.
County officials also told LAist in early September that they’re exiting a separate $63.8 million contract with Mind OC to manage the county’s signature mental health campus, Be Well, in the city of Orange. That decision came after an audit in July found the group failed to ensure proper staffing and effective outcomes of key services.
Mike Lyster, a spokesperson for the city of Anaheim, told LAist the services provided by the bright blue Be Well mobile response vans were no longer needed because the city has beefed up its ability to respond to mental health crises through other programs like a new street medicine team.