Budget Cuts Threaten Mental Health Services for Jail Inmates and Broader Community

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, Behavioral Wellness, and other community stakeholders gathered to discuss ongoing challenges in addressing the mental health needs of jail inmates and the community at large at September’s Stepping Up meeting. The recurring theme of this conversation was clear: budget shortfalls are forcing reductions in vital services at a time when demand continues to grow.

In August alone, there were 420 mental health crisis calls across the county. Only half could be addressed, largely because crisis teams are not staffed around the clock. While some mobile crisis response units are operating effectively, often reaching people in need within 30 minutes, staffing remains uneven, and one team is not staffed at all.

The situation is particularly troubling for people in custody at the County jails. Fifteen percent of Crestwood Santa Barbara Crisis Center calls now come from the jails, evidence that deputies are increasingly relying on mobile crisis response when inmates decompensate.  

Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness has acknowledged it cannot provide physicians for co-response teams this fiscal year due to budget constraints. Officials hope that will change next year, but adequate funding for the future is uncertain.

Compounding the issue, a long-standing safety program is being dismantled. The Safe Alternatives for Treating Youth (SAFTY) Team will not continue, and Casa Pacifica’s Safety Hotline -- widely used by schools -- is ending. All calls will now be directed to the County’s Behavioral Wellness Access Line, but it is unclear whether this system will have the resources to meet community needs.

Meanwhile, jail populations remain high. On July 1, 2025, there were 744 people in custody, with a significant portion identified as having a mental illness.  An ad hoc subcommittee is working on recommendations to address jail numbers and diversion strategies, with a report expected later this month.

These discussions underscore the tension between rising mental health needs and shrinking budgets. Without sustained funding, programs that have proven effective -- especially mobile crisis response and co-response physician teams -- risk being scaled back or lost altogether. For inmates and the community at large, the cost of underfunding mental health services is likely to be measured not just in statistics, but in human lives.