The UCSC Campus Mobile Crisis Team (CMCT) is the first of its kind on a University of California campus. The CMCT provides an empathetic, non-police response to emergency calls regarding mental health crises on campus. Following a series of police killings in the U.S., including the choking death of George Floyd in May, 2020, worldwide protests called for the expansion of non-police crisis teams for community safety.

Some cities and college campuses responded, including UCSC. The CMCT was implemented in June 2022, and in April 2023, their hours were extended after hiring two additional staff. The UC Santa Cruz CMCT is based on CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) in Eugene, Oregon, which has provided a non-police response to mental health crises since 1989. The CMCT is an extension of UCSC Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), directed by MaryJan Murphy. The Team has four intervention specialists and a supervisor, Beth Chiarelli, who has been a social worker for thirty years.

The Team is funded by the Chancellor's office and a Justice Intervention Services grant from the California Department of Corrections. Two CMCT vans are available to transport students but the team does not offer emergency support for physical injuries.

Everyone Should Be Safe - UC Santa Cruz Mobile Crisis Response Team