The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a motion to expand an alternative response program designed to assist unhoused individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The motion calls for the citywide expansion of the Crisis and Incident Response through Community Lead Engagement (CIRCLE) program and requests the Mayor’s office to report on a plan for expansion, along with identifying funding sources.
Introduced by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez on October 20 and supported by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, the CIRCLE program, initiated in 2021, offers 24/7 mobile crisis intervention in specific areas of the city. The program involves deploying a team of mental health professionals and individuals with lived experience to handle nonviolent calls to the Los Angeles Police Department related to unhoused individuals in crisis.
Initially piloted in January 2022 in parts of Hollywood and Venice, the CIRCLE program has since expanded its coverage to include Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Venice, and various areas in the San Fernando Valley. On November 1, Mayor Karen Bass expanded the program to serve the Sherman Oaks community.
Operating under the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, the CIRCLE program aims to prevent crime and violence through community-based strategies that address the social and economic conditions contributing to community harm. The program aligns with non-punitive safety strategies, including civilian first responders, violence interruption, re-entry services, youth diversion programs, and capacity-building initiatives for non-profit organizations focused on community safety.
The CIRCLE program can be accessed by calling the non-emergency police line at 877-275-5273.