The City of Industry City Council has voted to advance construction of a Mental Health Regional Crises Response & Training Center in the City of Industry. On a vote of 5-0, the Council allocated over $1.8M toward site improvements, including seven modular office trailers, a new parking lot, landscaping and the necessary electrical and plumbing services.
Construction is expected to begin next month, weather permitting. The contract was awarded to Moreno Valley-based contractor MVC Enterprises at the latest City Council meeting on Thursday, January 9. MVC Enterprises won the award after a competitive bidding process that began November 19, 2019. The facility is expected to open by summer.
The facility, at 150 S. Hudson Ave., will provide a number of training offerings, including dispatcher and desk personnel training, “Mental Health First Aid” training courses, “LA Found” search and rescue/helicopter search training, and will serve as the primary site for Field Operations Crisis Intervention Skills (FOCIS) training for every deputy newly assigned to patrol. Adjacent to the current Industry Sheriff’s Station, the future development will house the County’s growing Sheriff’s Department Mental Evaluation Team (MET) and Psychological Services Bureau (PSB).
“Mental health is a huge issue across various populations that our Sheriff Deputies encounter in their routine patrols. With proper training, Deputies will be better equipped to de-escalate situations involving people affected by mental disabilities. I am proud that the City of Industry is stepping up with land and financial support to create a facility that can benefit all of Los Angeles County. These invaluable and necessary services will allow the Sheriff’s Department to truly protect and serve countless residents in a more thorough and effective way,” said City of Industry Mayor Cory Moss. “The facility will be a first-of-its- kind regional mental health and developmental disabilities training site for the entire County, and we are excited to start the first steps to create this facility on this extensive project.”
The unique and over-arching initiative will be the only facility in the LA Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction that provides deputies with enhanced and interactive instruction to better assist people who suffer from mental disabilities or health issues. The training center will become the base office for four MET units, two MET supervisors, two psychologists and four FOCIS training instructors. With various sized all-purpose training rooms, the Center will host the entirety of mental health training courses for the greater Los Angeles area, including the San Gabriel Valley.
Utilizing Multiple Interaction Learning Objective simulators in scenario rooms, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department, EMS ambulance personnel and the California Highway Patrol will participate in specialized mental health vocational training that focuses on de-escalating crises, rather than resorting to using force.
“The Los Angeles Sheriff Department continues to evolve our services to serve all members of the public and to reduce conflict and use of force. This facility will provide the foundation for us to train the Deputies with critical skills to better serve the public,” said Sgt. Vince Plair from the LA County Sheriff’s Department. “The City of Industry committed early to this project and have been a key partner in our pursuit of this program and facility that will benefit all of LA County.”
Off-duty first responders, City staff and their respective family members will also be able to receive treatment from the on-site psychologists, which will increase the accessibility of care for staff in the San Gabriel and Inland Empire.
For information about the MET, click here.
About the City of Industry
The City of Industry is a 12-square-mile, largely industrial community in the center of Southern California. Surrounded by both mountains and nearby deserts, the City offers its community easy access to numerous recreational areas as well as downtown Los Angeles, the Ontario International Airport, Union Station, the Hollywood Burbank Airport and Orange County. With more than 3,000 businesses in the City who employ more than 67,000 people, the City is known for being a major contributor to Southern California’s labor market in areas such as retail trade, wholesale trade and manufacturing. For more information, visit .