West Hollywood’s Care Team: A Compassionate Approach to Community Well-being

The City of West Hollywood is a leader in progressive policies and inclusive community services. Among its standout initiatives is the City of West Hollywood’s Care Team, a community-centered program that provides an empathetic, free, service-based response to address behavioral health concerns, support individuals experiencing emotional distress, connect people in need of social services to assistance, and address other non-emergency quality-of-life concerns.

When support is needed, the Care Team serves housed and unhoused individuals alike, including West Hollywood residents, people who work or attend school in West Hollywood, and individuals spending time in the City.

Created in response to community needs and City Council direction, the program reflects a shift in how local government can approach public safety and wellness. Instead of relying solely on law enforcement when a need for assistance is identified, the Care Team steps in to help. It focuses on stabilizing people, building trust, and connecting them to services, no matter their housing situation or circumstances.

Following City Council approval of a multi-year service contract, the Care Team launched field operations in September 2023 and has since expanded to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays.

A Multidisciplinary, Human-Centered Model

The Care Team is operated by Sycamores, a nonprofit behavioral health organization with decades of experience in mobile response and community-based care. The program is staffed by trained behavioral health staff, including Triage Program Managers and Peer Support Specialists, who work collaboratively with clinical leadership to deliver individualized, trauma-informed support.

During each shift, a Triage Program Manager assesses incoming requests, coordinates referrals, and dispatches a mobile field team of Peer Support Specialists who engage directly with community members. Staff draw on their own lived experiences and professional training to provide trauma-informed care, harm reduction, suicide prevention, situation stabilization, First Aid, CPR, Narcan administration, and Stop the Bleed. The Care Team operates in unmarked vehicles, without lights or sirens, to ensure discreet, respectful, and non-punitive engagement. The Care Team assists individuals with:

• Behavioral health concerns and emotional distress
• Challenges related to substance use
• Wellness checks, suicide prevention, and safety planning
• Outreach and support for people experiencing homelessness
• Service intake and benefits navigation
• Transportation to shelter, treatment, or higher levels of care
• Connection to mental health care, medical services, housing resources, and other social services
• Follow-up engagement to support recovery, stability, and ongoing service connection

Anyone can contact the Care Team by phone at (323) 540-6392. The Care Team also receives direct referrals from trusted partners, including the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Security Ambassadors, City staff, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and other City partners.

Collaboration Across Sectors

A cornerstone of the Care Team’s success is its collaborative framework. The program works closely with City departments, first responders, and local and regional service providers to ensure individuals receive coordinated support that extends beyond the initial response. The program also engages individuals’ support networks when appropriate, including family members, caregivers, neighbors, employers, and service providers, to strengthen community-based support.

The Care Team plays an important role in the City’s homelessness response by providing real-time outreach, engagement, and service linkage. The Care Team answers the City’s Homeless Concern Line throughout the day and night, responding to concerns involving unhoused individuals and reducing gaps in service coverage. Care Team staff also proactively engage with community members in public spaces such as parks, libraries, sidewalks, older adult living environments, and other City facilities.

Redefining Public Safety

The Care Team strengthens the City’s broader public safety framework by diverting non-emergency behavioral health calls away from law enforcement and reducing the risk of situation escalation. The Care Team does not replace law enforcement or emergency medical services, but instead complements them. The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department remain essential partners. The Care Team focuses on situations in which a service-based response is more appropriate and effective so that first responders can focus on medical emergencies and crime prevention. This coordinated approach expands the City’s capacity to support residents, workers, and unhoused individuals alike.

Looking Ahead

The City of West Hollywood continues to explore opportunities to strengthen the Care Team’s impact through increased community outreach, enhanced coordination with partner agencies, and ongoing evaluation of service delivery. Continued investment through local funding and external resources supports the City’s commitment to ensuring timely, compassionate behavioral health support is accessible to West Hollywood community members whenever needed.

As cities rethink public safety and wellness, the City of West Hollywood’s Care Team stands out as a compassionate and effective approach that puts people first and aligns with the City’s strong values of inclusion, empathy, and dignity for all.