The civilian mobile support team helped divert hundreds of calls away from police and fire and connect people with health and social services during its first year. Brady Kellogg hadn’t been able to sleep in weeks and his memory was foggy. The 46-year-old had gone to visit family in Seattle last August and suffered a seizure while at the grocery store, slamming his head on the concrete, he said.

He began to feel anxious when he returned to Sonoma County, where he was living in his car with his chihuahua, Benni. He sought medical help to no avail, he said, and turned to alcohol to help cope.