The City of Murrieta

Case Study

 

Overview

The City of Murrieta, CA launched a three year partnership with Care Solace to close the gaps in access to mental health care and wrap-around social, community, and medical services.

In support of the 120,000 Murrieta residents, as well as the school district and city departments/agencies, Care Solace serves as a central navigation hub to connect individuals to providers and services.  Through a dedicated QR code, phone number or email every resident connects live with a Care Companion who assesses their needs, navigates the mental health care system,  finds culturally relevant providers, locates wrap-around social services, secures appointments, and remains available to the resident ongoing. 

 

Care Match, a self-service tool, empowers residents to independently search for care and directly connect with a Care Companion for assistance. 

Untitled (7 x 5.5 in) (3)

Care Solace’s coordination services and cloud-based platform enable the City of Murrieta to aggregate access to all available behavioral, mental, social and community services, and to enable support for every resident irrespective of insurance, language, culture, and need.  First responders, homeless  teams, city council, city offices, libraries, parks and recreation, nonprofit organizations, churches, CBOs, and even HR refer residents and city employees to Care Solace.

The data and insights gathered through the Care Solace platform will be used to inform city programs, policies, and strategies, ensuring the ongoing well-being of residents and city staff.

 

 

Real Stories

Mayor Stone is committed to providing a comprehensive blanket of support to residents with the help of Care Solace. 

Challenges

Murrieta faced access challenges including limited providers, unavailable beds, fragmented services, static shared lists, no insurance and public insurance obstacles to care, scarcity of culturally relevant care, and obscured provider availability. 

Complicating the crisis, first responders are often forced to make decisions about mental health care with jails and hospitals as the default destinations for residents struggling.  Supporting initiatives have been launched including training, behavioral health care providers riding with police or responding alone to calls and crisis centers, but barriers to access remain and scaling these solutions efficiently is difficult.  

This partnership allows residents to connect for free with mental health care quickly, reflecting Murrieta’s commitment to safety and responsive community services.

Quote-2-1
“Our main priority is ensuring that all of our residents have access to necessary resources and solutions. Mental health is a top crisis in America, which led us to partner with Care Solace. Regardless of insurance or  severity of need, Care Solace is there for our residents and those that work in Murrieta, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Anyone can speak to a live person to help navigate the care system, which is invaluable.”
Lori Stone
Murrieta Mayor

Solutions

Care Solace provides the City with key insights, which the City Council is using  to develop responsive community programs.  A citywide campaign, “It’s Okay to Ask for Help” was launched to let residents know about Care Solace services.

 

The QR code, phone number and website are displayed throughout the city, and first responders, city council members, departments/agencies, and CBOs distribute business cards promoting the campaign, referring residents to the free services.

unnamed (2)

Impact

Since its launch in December 2023, Care Solace has supported over 1,200 residents, matching them with services/providers in 2.3 days and connecting them to care in 4.7 days. 

69%

of referrals aged 18-25 struggled with depression and 34.5% experienced suicidal ideation and self-harm.

55% 

of those assisted had public, military, or no insurance, aiding even the most vulnerable populations.

38% 

of cases needed advanced care like hospitalization, detox, and interventions.

40% 

of cases sought therapy referrals.

Let's talk more.

 

Request a Demo    Contact Us

How to Launch Care Solace in Your Own City

Murrieta effectively engendered community awareness of Care Solace, through a comprehensive implementation plan that can be replicated by other cities. 

 

The initiative kicked off with a launch party at a city hall meeting, where the partnership was announced and business cards and flyers with QR codes were distributed to generate excitement and awareness.

Murrieta-3

Key to the strategy was developing partnerships with first responders, including the police and fire departments, to enhance their ability to assess, triage, and support individuals facing mental health issues.

Promotion across various platforms was essential for success.

Murrieta utilized multiple touch points:

Regular 30-Minute Trainings and Overview Sessions

Murrieta set up regular 30-minute training and overview sessions tailored for different groups, including city staff, first responders, mental health practitioners, and teams working with the unhoused. These sessions aim to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively utilize our service. 

Diverse Communication Channels

The partnership was first announced by press releases. To maintain visibility, the city posted about Care Solace on social media (1-2 posts per month) and included a monthly mental health column in email and print communications. Local TV stations featured ads, appearances, and interviews.

Community Engagement Efforts

We engaged the community by being present at city events, distributing materials at local churches and community centers, and placing promotional signage in public bathrooms. Additionally, we partnered with local schools for broader outreach and participated in special events like "A Day in Her Shoes" on International Women's Day.

Resources For First Responders

First Responders were equipped with flyers and business cards featuring a QR code to provide immediate access to services for those in crisis situations, such as victims of violence or substance abuse.

Conclusion

Care Solace’s ability to connect residents with care in days or weeks, not months, is critical to meeting current residents’ needs and upholding the mission of the city of Murrieta: ensuring all residents have access to necessary resources and solutions.

Find out how we can partner to make accessing mental health care easier than ever for your residents.

 

Request a Demo